Saving a Hero
by missmissa85
Summary: Senator Petrelli's secretary, Elie Costantin, has a secret. A resistance forms in the wake of the senator's campaign to lock up people with abilities, and Elie choses a side. Can the heroes stop Nathan from becoming a tyrant? AU Volume 4. Peter/OC
1. Chapter 1: Daddy Always Knows

A/N: This has become a very AU version of Volume 4. In my version, Peter's ability was unchanged when he got it back, Nathan never tried to arrest Peter, and Peter and Claire brought down the plane, but Nathan has no idea because they got away and he has no proof, just a hunch. Claire is also attending college in New York and living with Angela on the weekends. This story is set about a month after the crash. That's about all the exposition I need to explain outside of the story...I hope. If anything is unclear, just let me know. Enjoy!

* * *

Elie Costantin internally shuddered as she handed the list to New York's junior senator, Nathan Petrelli. Despite the fact that the man wasn't elected to public office, the public seemed to like him. Elie attributed this to his good looks and what appeared to be a firm stance on terrorism. The American public didn't realize that the "terrorists" Petrelli was rounding up were sometimes as young as five-years-old and were only considered terrorists because they were born with certain genetic traits.

Elie wasn't supposed to know any of this, she'd discovered it by accident, and she really wished she hadn't. Most of the people in the senator's office, only guessed that the specifics of his anti-terrorism campaign, and she would have much preferred to remain ignorant herself. She was all too afraid that one day she would see her own name on the list she was presently showing the senator.

Senator Petrelli signed the piece of paper and looked up at her. "I'm sorry, Ms. Costantin," he said with his winning smile, "I've forgotten your first name again."

"Elie," she answered, forcing her own small smile, "like Robert _E. Lee_."

The senator handed her the signed list and leaned back in his cushy chair. "I thought you were from New York. Were your parents from Mississippi or something?" he asked with seemingly genuine interest.

Elie stiffened. "General Lee was from _Virginia_," she emphasized, "as was my father. He still teaches at VMI. I was born in Virginia, but I was raised in Buffalo with my mom."

"Sorry," Petrelli said with a smile, "I didn't mean to offend you."

"Oh, no offense taken, Sir," she lied as the locked the list in the secure document holder. "I'll get this to the FBI on my way home, so they can get started on it right away. Enjoy your long weekend, Sir."

"You too, Elie."

She wanted to cringe at the sound of her given name from the senator's mouth, but she maintained her smile and left his office. That evening, she stoically delivered the document to the deputy director of the FBI, but she didn't go home afterward. Instead, she headed straight for Lexington.

The ancient buildings of the Institute greeted her against a darkening sky. She parked in an almost abandoned lot and tramped across the campus toward her father's office. Some of the guards acknowledged her, but they didn't try to stop her. They'd seen her around the campus since she could crawl.

She smiled when a familiar face greeted her in the hallway where her father's office was located.

"Cadet Captain Barnes," she greeted him lightly. "It's good to see you."

The tall, handsome, blue-eyed man returned her smile. "Same to you, ma'am."

"Ugh," she groaned sarcastically, "I'm only three years older than you, Jason, _and_ I'm your ex-girlfriend. Please don't call me 'ma'am'."

"Anything you say, Elie," he answered, leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek. "How have you been?"

"I'm great," she lied brightly. "I'm working for the junior senator from New York."

"He's not acting overly-senatorial, is he?" Jason asked.

Elie punched him for his suggestively raised eyebrow. "Stop stereotyping," she told him. "What are you going to do after graduation?"

"I was just discussing that with your dad," he answered. "He suggested the Marines…embassy duty."

"Sounds kind of boring."

"Not if the embassy is in Baghdad."

"True enough," Elie agreed. "I guess my dad's still in his office."

"Yep," he answered. "It was good seeing you, Elie."

"You too, Jason," she said before walking on.

She stopped at the door labeled Colonel David A. Costantin.

"Come on in, Sweetheart," a voice called from the other side.

She smiled and opened the door. "That would freak out most people," she said, sitting down across from her father.

David returned his daughter's smile. The colonel had often been told he resemble Harry Truman. Elie could definitely see the resemblance, especially since her father started wearing glasses. The major difference was the eyes. Truman's were perpetually round and wide. David Costantin's were narrower, sharper, and smarter. Elie's father also had most of his hair, although it had long since turned gray.

"You should be careful about doing stuff like that, Dad," she told him solemnly. "Using your ability to see through walls could get you into a lot of trouble these days."

"What sort of trouble?" David asked her without looking up from the stack of papers on his desk.

"The senator I'm working for," she began, "he's going after people with abilities, rounding them up and putting them in some sort of facility. He's convinced the president we're all dangerous. I'm not supposed to know about this, of course."

David stopped working and looked his only child in the eye. "Elie-baby, why are you telling me this?"

She shrugged. "You're my dad," she answered. "You always know what to do, and I don't right now. What Petrelli is doing is wrong. Should I quit my job? Should I stay and try to stop him? Is stopping him an act of treason? I'm the daughter of a Marine Corps colonel, I can't betray my country."

"Yes, you can, Sweetheart," her father answered gravely.

Elie looked at him in utter disbelief.

"Do you trust me?" he asked her.

"Implicitly."

"Then close your eyes."

She obeyed her father's command. She heard him get up and then she felt the sharp pain of a needle in her neck. And then she felt nothing.

* * *

Elie awoke to find herself strapped to a chair. Her wrists were bound to the arms and her ankles to the legs. Her shoulders were strapped down and the back was so high she couldn't turn her head.

"What the hell is going on?" she asked into the darkness. "What did you do to my father?"

"We didn't do anything to your father," an unfamiliar male voice answered.

"He let you kidnap me," she insisted. "You had to threaten him with something."

"They didn't kidnap you, Elie-baby," her father said, emerging from the shadows and sitting down in front of her on a stool. "I brought you here."

Elie's shoulders slumped as much as her bonds would allow. "Why?"

David gave her a sad little smile. "Because you want to do the right thing," he answered. "And this is the right thing to do."

"What is _this_?" Elie asked, frustrated.

"Hope," the voice from behind her answered.

Elie didn't bother to turn around and see who it was. She knew that endeavor would be fruitless. "Daddy, as eloquent as that sounds, I'm gonna need a little more explanation."

David smiled. "You remember that first group of fugitives your boss rounded up?"

"The plane crashed. There weren't any survivors," Elie quickly answered. Despite that setback, Nathan Petrelli had stubbornly carried on.

"The plane did crash, but almost everyone survived," David corrected.

"Almost," the man behind her said sadly.

David looked past Elie and to the man standing above her left shoulder. "It's not your fault," the colonel assured him. "You did the best that you could." He looked back at his daughter. "After he rescued some of his friends from the plane, my friend here he found me. Together we've been building a resistance. If we can fend off Petrelli, we won't have to run."

Elie silently considered this information. "You want me to be a spy," she concluded.

"Yeah, Elie-baby, that's what we need you to do."

"Daddy, that's treason."

"The men who tried to assassinate Hitler were committing treason, but no one can deny what they did was right," the mysterious man said, moving around the chair as he spoke.

His face was still obscured in shadow. All Elie could make out was his pale skin, a brown eye, and black hair.

"Who are you?" Elie asked him.

"It's better that you don't know who I am," he told her. "Now what's your answer?"

"I don't know how much help I can be," she admitted. "I'm just a secretary, and I only found out about Petrelli's master plan by accident."

"Anything you find out, you call me with the code word 'finch' and someone will find you," David eyed his shadowy friend as he spoke those last words.

Elie nodded and swallowed hard. "I'll do it," she promised.

David's sad smile returned. "That's my girl."

"Just one thing."

"What?"

"Maybe you've forgotten," she began, "but all those men who conspired against Hitler; they failed, and they died."

"Nathan Petrelli isn't Adolf Hitler," the man in the shadows said firmly. "Not yet."

David broke the suddenly uncomfortable silence saying, "We have to sedate you again. It's better that you don't know where we are. You'll wake up on your couch."

"I understand."

"I love you, Elie."

"Love you too, Dad."

* * *

Peter Petrelli gently placed the woman in his arms down on the couch in her dinky living room. Her place was, amazingly, even smaller than his. He slid off her shoes and covered her with a blanket, the nurse in him wanting to take care of the vulnerable woman.

Her father had wanted to bring her into their little rebellion from the beginning, but Peter encouraged him otherwise. They could trust her if she came to them, or, in other words, if she doubted Nathan. He was glad the wizened army colonel deferred to his judgment. Now they had an ally who was truly within Nathan's camp.

While Nathan hadn't rounded up his mother, brother, and daughter, and thrown them into a facility, he didn't exactly share with them. The only reason they were safe from imprisonment was because it would only end up reflecting badly on him. No matter what, Nathan would always be a politician.

The young woman started to stir on the couch and Peter knew that was his cue to leave. He went out the window onto the fire escape and closed the glass behind him. He then leapt into the air and headed back to New York City.


	2. Chapter 2: An Offer She Couldn't Refuse

A/N: I got one story alert and one review, so I know someone out there is reading this. Here goes chapter two...

* * *

"Hey, Claire," Peter said evenly as he walked into his apartment, kicking the door shut with his foot and dropping his med-kit on the floor.

"How did you know I was here?" the blonde asked, emerging from Peter's bedroom.

"I absorbed Matt's ability a while back," he answered with a crooked smile as he shrugged off his EMT jacket and threw it over a chair. "I could hear you thinking about sweeping the place for bugs from downstairs. Thank you, by the way. That means I don't have to do it. You want a beer?"

"Peter, I'm not twenty-one," she reminded him as she sat down in one of the chairs in his tiny living room.

"Yeah, and you've _never_ had a beer," Peter called incredulously from his open refrigerator.

Claire rolled her eyes as Peter appeared and handed her the bottle. He took a long drink and watched his niece sip her beer.

"You not like it?" he asked her.

Claire shook her head. "Not really," she answered. "I've never really liked the taste. When I used to drink back in high school, I was just doing it to fit in."

Peter took another drink before saying, "Why are you here, Claire?"

Claire sighed and placed her bottle on the worn coffee table. "I want to know what's going on, Peter," she told him. "I helped you get everyone off the plane. I deserve to know what's going on, and I want to help."

"No," Peter answered firmly, almost angrily. "You're in college. You need to lay low and just try to be normal."

"Normal?" she yelled at him. "I hate that word. I don't even know what it means anymore."

Peter gritted his teeth and gripped the bottle more tightly. "I can't let you be involved in this, Claire."

"Why? Because you're afraid I'll turn into some person who kills you?"

"Yes," Peter yelled back. "I don't want to see you turn into a cold-blooded killer. I have to save you from that."

"It's still about saving the cheerleader for you, isn't it?" she asked him quietly.

"Always," he admitted with a little smile. "Besides, I just don't want to die."

Claire smiled and sat back in her chair at this. "Wow," she said. "That's probably the most selfish thing that's ever come out of your mouth."

Peter scoffed and sat back himself. They sat in a comfortable silence until Claire said, "Just tell me what's happening, Peter."

Peter released a noise that was something between a sigh and a groan. "There's not that much to tell, really. Mostly we're just hiding, and surviving, and keeping Molly safe above everyone else. If Nathan got a hold of her, the rest of us would be screwed. I found a man, though, Colonel David Costantin, U.S. Army, Retired. He's an instructor at Virginia Military Institute, and he can see through walls."

"Like Superman?" Claire asked brightly.

Peter smirked. "You sound like Hiro," he told her. "Anyway, he's helping us prepare for the worst."

"I hope it doesn't come to that," she replied, looking at her shoes.

"Me too," he said. "But the colonel's also helping us prevent it. He's got a daughter, Elie. She works for Nathan. She's gonna help us from the inside."

"Is she trustworthy?"

"Yeah."

"How do you know?"

"Just a feeling," Peter answered.

"A feeling or a dream?" Claire asked slyly.

Peter smirked. "Maybe a little of both," he answered.

Another companionable silence ensued.

"Do you like her?"

"Huh?" Peter wasn't entirely sure he'd heard the question.

"Do you like her?" Claire repeated, carefully enunciating every word.

Peter squirmed uncomfortably in his chair. "Claire, I don't even know her."

"But you've dreamed about her."

"I never said that."

"You didn't have to."

Peter rolled his eyes as his ears turned pink. Claire laughed as she stood up and kissed the top of his head.

"I love you, Peter," she told him, resting her chin on the top of his head.

"Love you, too, Claire," he answered. "You should get home before Mom has a coronary."

"Fine," she said, mildly exasperated. "Just promise me you'll tell me what's going on."

"As long as you promise me you won't get involved," he returned.

"I promise," Claire answered quickly, too quickly.

Peter looked at her dubiously, but gave her a hug anyway.

* * *

Elie awoke to the harsh sound of a telephone ringing. The clock on the wall told her it was seven o'clock in the morning. She briefly wondered what she was doing on her couch with her work clothes on, but she soon remembered the events of the previous night.

She reached out for the phone and said, "Hello," just before the machine picked up.

"Ms. Costantin?"

Elie's forehead crinkled in confusion. "Senator Petrelli?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, sorry for calling you so early, but I wanted to know if you had any plans for the day," her boss explained.

Red lights and blaring alarms started sounding in Elie's head. This was indicative of exactly the sort of "overly-senatorial" behavior Cadet Captain Jason Barnes was talking about.

"Um, no," she answered reluctantly.

"Well, my ex-wife and sons are coming over for brunch today, and we were wondering if you would like to join us," he explained.

"Um," Elie stalled while she came up with an excuse. "Sir, I'm not entirely sure that would be appropriate."

"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable, Elie," the senator told her, "but, while our interest in having you over is not entirely professional, it's certainly not inappropriate. My ex-wife and children will be there at all times. There's nothing to worry about."

Elie decided that there was something more than a little fishy about her boss' request, but whatever was going on, it obviously meant that Petrelli trusted her. She couldn't let any kinks work their way into that trust, not if she wanted to help her father.

"Alright, Sir, I-I'd love to join you and your family for brunch," she answered finally, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice.

"Perfect," the senator declared. "And, Elie, it's the weekend, please don't call me 'sir.' Be here by ten-thirty. Casual dress. See you then."

Elie groaned. Casual dress to a United States senator did not mean the same thing it did to everyone else. She showered and meticulously applied her make-up before blow drying and then straightening her normally wavy auburn hair. She selected a pair of dark wash denim trousers, flat, brown suede boots, and a pink and cream striped button up shirt. She left the shirt untucked. That should make the outfit sufficiently casual. It was nine o'clock at that point and she knew she had a lengthy drive ahead of her.

As she walked into her apartment building's garage, she realized that she'd left her car in Virginia, and the idea of taking a train and then a cab to the senator's house did not sound particularly appetizing, or affordable. Experimentally, she pressed a button on her key, and her car beeped back at her, from her usual parking space no less.

She got in, and nothing looked out of place. And then she saw a piece of plastic wedged between the driver's seat. It was an I.D. card of some kind, but it seemed to be covered with dirt, dried blood, and other bodily fluids Elie didn't want to think about. All she could make out was that it belonged to an EMT in New York City. She tossed it in her glove box and decided she'd clean the thing off and mail it to him later. It had to be a him, the him that questioned her from the shadows the night before.

She jammed the key in the ignition and pulled out of the garage toward the highway. There was a special hierarchy to where people lived in D.C. The senior senators from states like Oklahoma and Iowa would live in respectable, upper-middle-class neighborhoods in outlying towns like Centreville and Springfield, Virginia. Junior congressmen from states like New York and Massachusetts tended to live in older, upper-class neighborhoods in Alexandria and Bethesda. As the junior senator from New York, Nathan Petrelli was only a slight exception. He didn't live in a historic neighborhood close to the Capitol. He did, however, live in a massive house in the suburban community of Glenn Dale, Maryland. The place was in easy driving distance of both the Capitol and of his ex-wife's hometown of Annapolis. Heidi had been living there with their children since the divorce, which was why Elie assumed he chose the place.

The drive on the Beltway and Highway 50 weren't as bad as she expected. She was used to the Beltway at rush hour. Finding her way around Glenn Dale was a little trickier. The only other time she'd been there, she carpooled with other employees from the senator's office and hadn't really paid attention. She knew it was around the country club, however, and so she followed the signs until she found the entrance to the neighborhood. Her government ID badge got her past the guard at the neighborhood gate. At the senator's house, a guard was waiting for her by the gate.

"The senator is expecting you, Ms. Costantin," he told her. "You can drive around to the front door, someone will be waiting to take your car."

She did as she was instructed and handed her keys to a middle-aged man. A woman met her in the foyer.

"You're early," the woman said. "That's always a good quality."

The woman was in her mid-to-late thirties. She had bright eyes, a beautiful smile, and shoulder-length black hair. The woman extended her hand and said, "I'm Heidi, Nathan's ex-wife. You must be Elie."

Elie couldn't hide her surprise, but she politely took the woman's hand.

Heidi just smiled. "You were expecting a blonde, weren't you?" she asked as she motioned for Elie to follow her.

"Frankly, yes," Elie answered as she walked alongside the older woman.

"Well, considering Nathan's penchant for the fair-haired of the fairer sex, and the fact that my name _is_ Heidi, the confusion is understandable," she said.

Elie swallowed a giggle. Heidi paused at a serving table next to a glass door leading out onto a terrace. "Coffee?" she asked.

Elie nodded and Heidi placed a steaming cup in her hand and motioned for her to follow onto the terrace. She looked over the lawn to see the senator playing baseball with his two sons. He blue shirt was unbuttoned over a white undershirt, and he was wearing a pair of khakis, and no shoes.

The younger woman smirked as she sipped her coffee. "Does the senator not own a pair of jeans?" she asked jokingly.

"I honestly don't think he's owned a pair since he got out of the Navy," Heidi answered, chuckling. "I've really got no room to talk. This is the most casual outfit I own."

Heidi was attired similarly to Elie. The younger woman smiled and said, "I still have some clothes from college, so this is far from the most casual outfit I own."

"Don't ever get rid of them," Heidi advised. "If nothing else, you can wear them while repainting apartment, or something."

Elie smiled at the joke and continued to sip her coffee. Heidi cleared her throat significantly, and said, "I suppose Nathan didn't tell you the real reason we invited you over the phone."

"No," Elie answered truthfully, "but I did naturally assume that there was a 'real' reason."

"Join me," Heidi said with a smile as he headed for the terrace's dining table. Once Elie was seated across from her, she continued, "I guess I'll tell you what this is all about since it was mostly my idea."

"What's going on?" Elie asked, a mixture of curiosity and discomfort seeping into her voice.

"Well, it's Nathan's brother, Peter," Heidi began.

"Hold on a second," Elie interrupted. "Are you wanting to set me up the senator's brother?"

"Yeah," Heidi admitted almost sheepishly. "Just hear me out, ok? Nathan and Peter had some big falling out over something. I'm not sure what. Neither one of them will tell me. Anyway, I've seen Peter more lately than Nathan, and I know he's lonely. He's probably spent all of his free time dwelling on what happened between them. It would be good for him to have a distraction outside of his work."

"And you want me to be a distraction?" Elie asked in disbelief.

Heidi sat back in her chair and smiled at the younger woman. "I know how this sounds, but I was talking to Nathan about it, and we agreed that it would be good if Peter just met someone, and Nathan thinks you would be perfect."

"Why?"

"Because you saved a box of kittens," Heidi answered.

Elie quirked an eyebrow. "How do you even know about that? That happened last year before Senator Petrelli was even appointed."

"Senator Dickinson thought it was endearing," Heidi explained. "It was in your employee file, along with your given reasons for going into civil service."

Elie gulped and stared into her coffee cup. Heidi continued, "You said you wanted to help save the world."

"Everyone says that at some point in their career," Elie excused as she idly spun her coffee cup around.

Heidi leaned forward and said conspiratorially, "Peter always wanted to save the world. He saved a mangy puppy when he was seven, and he's a nurse and an EMT-saving the world one person at a time. We think you two would be a great fit."

"I live in D.C., your brother-in-law lives in New York," Elie started excusing.

"We're not trying to push you into anything."

"Really?" Elie asked, an angry edge to her voice.

"Okay, so maybe we're nudging a little," Heidi admitted. "All that we would _like_ you to do is go to a party with Peter."

"What sort of party?" Elie asked dubiously.

"Angela Petrelli's annual garden party next Saturday afternoon," Heidi answered. "It will be the first time all of the Petrellis have been together in a while. It will be if Peter comes, anyway."

"And you think he'll come if he's got a girl waiting for him?"

"No, but he'll do it because I'll ask him," Heidi answered. "I just don't want him to face his brother alone."

Elie's brows knit together. "I _work_ for his brother."

"That's what makes you neutral."

"Your logic is a little screwy."

"Trust me, once you've met Peter, you'll definitely be neutral."

Elie laughed at Heidi's utter confidence. "What makes you so sure?"

"Empathy," Heidi answered simply.

"Empathy?" Elie asked.

"Yeah, Nathan thinks you've got a lot of it," she explained. "You can work well with people, better than Nathan anyway, and then there's the whole kitty saving incident."

"You do realize I didn't keep any of those kittens, don't you?" Elie asked her.

"Yes, but you took the time to find them homes. Most people would have just turned them into the pound, or even let them freeze to death," Heidi told her. "Empathy is a good quality, and trust me, Peter has it in spades. It's his greatest strength, and his greatest weakness. And you've obviously got a lot of it too, otherwise you wouldn't still be sitting here listening to me. You two would be perfect together, at least for an afternoon."

Elie bit her lip as she considered all Heidi told her. The senator wouldn't fire her if she refused, since this appeared to mostly be his ex-wife's idea. Getting more involved with his family, however, could be a bonus. The more he trusted her, the more information she could pass to her father's friends.

"I guess I'm becoming an easy touch," Elie answered. "I'll go to the party with Peter."

"Great," Heidi said, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice. "It's an outdoor semi-formal, so that's like…"

"Nice sundress, strappy heels, and a good pedicure," Elie finished. "I've been to enough political parties. I think I can handle it."

Heidi smiled. "Wonderful. The boys and I are going to see their grandmother after we leave here," she explained. "I'll make sure Peter's there next weekend."

Elie did her best to look genuinely happy as Nathan Petrelli and his sons jogged up the steps to the terrace.

"Elie!" the senator exclaimed. "You're here early. Have you and Heidi been getting along?"

"Splendidly," Heidi answered.

"Great. Well, Elie, these two young men are Monty and Simon," he told her. "Boys, this is Elie Costantin. She works with Daddy."

Each boy politely shook her hand before Nathan ushered them off to get cleaned up. When they were well out of earshot, Elie looked at her raven-haired companion and said, "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"I think you've definitely earned the right to at least one," Heidi answered.

Elie took a deep breath. "Are you and Senator Petrelli reconciling?"

Heidi's overall jovial manner fell in an instant. She smiled sadly at Elie and answered, "No. Nathan's not the man I divorced anymore, but he's not the man I married either. But he deserves time with his children and it's always better if you're friendly about it."

"I think I understand," Elie told her returning the older woman's sad smile. "My parents were the same way when they split up."

"Did I miss anything good?" Nathan asked as he and his sons sat down around the table.

"Nope," Heidi answered quickly. "Not at all."

Brunch passed with inane and G-rated conversation. Elie was more than sufficiently relieved when Heidi announced that she and the boys had to catch their plane to New York. Nathan walked all of them door. Heidi and the boys left first in a limo. The middle-aged man then appeared in Elie's car and handed her her keys.

"I had a wonderful time, Senator," Elie lied.

"It's the weekend, Elie. Please don't call me 'Senator,'" he told her.

She nervously bit her lip. "Calling you anything other than 'senator' or 'sir' is a bad habit to get into," she informed him.

He nodded. "I completely understand."

Elie started to head for her car when she noticed her boss nervously rubbing the back of his neck and looking like he had something to say.

"Sir, is there something else you needed?"

He chuckled and put both hands on his hips. "Did Heidi get a chance to talk to you about—"

"Your brother?" Elie finished for him. "She did, and I agreed to go to the party with him next weekend."

"Great," the senator said, though he didn't sound very enthusiastic.

"Something wrong, Sir?"

"No," he answered, taking a step closer to her, "it's just that there's something you should know about my brother. He's very altruistic, always wants to do the right thing."

"I kind of thought that would be a good quality," Elie responded, uncomfortable with the tone and direction the conversation was taking.

"Oh, it is, generally," the senator told her. "It's just that my brother's also a little naïve. He's easily led. We haven't spoken lately and I'm afraid he might be involved in some things he shouldn't. I just want to keep my brother out of trouble."

"Sir, are-are you asking me to spy on your brother?"

"No, not at all," he answered, placating her with motions of his hands. "It's just that Peter might open up to you in a way he won't to me anymore. I just want to protect my family."

"Of course," Elie said, backing toward her car. "I'll, um, I'll see you Tuesday, Sir."

She drove away from the mansion as quickly as she could without looking absolutely ridiculous. The Petrellis may have looked alright on the surface, but it was becoming more and more apparent that they made the Corleones look like one big, happy family.


	3. Chapter 3: Mommy Knows Best

"Uncle Peter!" two small voices cried in unison as the aforementioned uncle walked up the steps of the Petrelli mansion in upstate New York.

Monty and Simon practically tackled him and Peter had no choice but to hug back. "Hey, guys," he said with more joy than he actually felt. "You've gotten so big."

He looked up to see Claire coming toward him grinning. "Uncle Peter!" she imitated childishly as she stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Heidi and your mom want to talk to you."

"Oooo…Uncle Peter's in trouble!" shaggy-haired Simon teased.

"What'd you do, Uncle Pete?" Monty asked.

Peter eyed his grinning niece. "What _did _I do?" he asked her.

"Nothing," Claire answered. "It's just something they want you _to do_. You'll enjoy it if you give it a chance. C'mon, boys. You promised to show me the treehouse."

The two youngest Petrellis immediately let go of their uncle and grabbed one of their half-sister's hands. "Claire!" Peter called after her in annoyance as they dragged her off. She just grinned back at him over her shoulder. He could only glean mischievous giggles from inside her head.

He trudged into his childhood home where Heidi's smiling face and open arms immediately greeted him.

"Peter, my God, it's so good to see you," she exclaimed, hugging him tightly.

Though he doubted her ultimate motives, Peter returned his former sister-in-law's embrace. "It's good to see you, too, Heidi," he told her.

The ominous presence of Angela Petrelli appeared behind her. Peter let go of his sister-in-law and nodded at his mother. "Mom," he acknowledged curtly.

She showed him the smile he knew was false, and kissed him on the cheek in a motherly fashion. He did his best not to flinch at the contact.

"Peter," she began, "it's good to see you. We don't see nearly enough of you around here. You work too much."

As soon as his mother's back was turned, Peter rolled his eyes. Heidi smiled sympathetically and looped her arm through his, dragging him along to the nearest sitting room.

"Tea?" his mother asked him.

"Not really a tea drinker, Mom," Peter answered through gritted teeth.

"Coffee?" she suggested.

"Claire said you two wanted me to do something," he said, attempting to get on with what was surely going to be a torturous conversation.

"Oh, yes, please sit down," Heidi said brightly, patting the seat next to her on the couch.

Peter held in a groan, but did as he was instructed. "What's going on?" he asked suspiciously.

"What are your plans for next Saturday?" Angela asked him as she poured herself a cup of tea.

"Avoiding your garden party at all costs," he quickly answered.

"But Peter, it'll be the first chance you and Nathan have gotten to see each other in a while," Heidi pleaded.

"Maybe that's because I don't want to see him," Peter argued. "And, deep down, Nathan really doesn't want to see me either."

"That is _not_ true," Heidi argued back. "He misses you, Peter. He told me so himself. You're like his conscience."

"A politician doesn't need a conscience," Peter muttered under his breath.

Heidi pursed her lips together angrily. "You're going anyway," she told him. "You already have a date."

"What?"

"She's this really sweet girl who works in Nathan's office," Heidi began.

"Not really a recommendation," Peter replied sharply.

"Heidi thinks she's perfect because she saved a box of kittens once." Angela's voice held only the slightest note of ridicule.

Heidi spared her only a look before continuing, "She cares about people, and she wants to help save the world. Kind of like someone else I know."

"I don't know, Heidi…"

"She's really pretty," Heidi said, reaching into her bag for her phone.

"Heidi, that doesn't really mat—"

Peter's words caught in his throat at the sight on Heidi's phone. He didn't even hazard a glance at his mother. She'd have that look on her face. The one that said, "I know more than you. I always have, and I always will."

"She's really sweet, Peter," Heidi continued, undaunted. "It'd be a shame if you disappointed her."

Peter buried his face in his hands. "Fine," he grumbled without lifting his head.

"Great!"

He could hear the utter joy in Heidi's voice. He kept his eyes planted firmly on the floor. He heard the door slam and felt Heidi get up. She relayed her news to Claire, who thought it was fantastic. Peter's niece then said something about homework while Heidi ushered his nephews off to play until dinnertime. It was only when a general silence fell on the house that Peter looked up at his mother. As expected, she had that knowing look on her face.

"Heidi forgot to tell me her name," Peter said, avoiding eye contact with his mother.

"You already know her name," she answered, staring at him; looking right through him.

"No, I don't."

"Don't lie to me, Peter, you're not any good at it," she told him as she stood and walked to a window.

"What do you expect me to say?" Peter nearly shouted at his mother's back.

"I expect you to at least be honest with your own mother," she answered coolly.

Peter scoffed. "I'll start when you start," he challenged.

She turned around with that disgustingly fake smile of hers. "Are you staying for dinner?"

"No," Peter answered firmly, turning to leave.

"Please don't go," she called after him. "We really don't see enough of you, Peter. It would mean a lot to Claire and your nephews."

He internally shuddered as he hissed out the word, "Fine," and ran up the stairs.

* * *

Claire looked up from her book when she heard her door open. She watched as her young uncle closed it, more loudly than necessary, and wordlessly fell backward onto her bed.

"What are you doing?" Claire asked when he offered no explanation.

"Hiding from my mother," Peter answered without looking at her.

"Oh," Claire said looking back to her book. "I do that a lot."

They stayed in silence for a while. Claire stretched out and rested her bare feet on Peter's stomach. Peter rolled his head over and looked at her.

"Comfortable?" he asked sarcastically.

"Very," she answered.

"Claire," he began, "did Heidi tell you who she set me up with for next weekend?"

"Yes."

"You didn't find that the least bit odd?"

Claire laid her book down on her lap and smiled at him. "I think it's fortunate she set you up with someone you already like," she answered.

Peter propped himself up on his elbows. "I don't even really know Elie," he protested.

"But you're already calling her Elie," Claire pointed out.

Peter groaned and fell back on the bed in response. He felt Claire's feet move from his stomach as she sat up. "It's like I said earlier," she told him. "You'll enjoy this if you give it a chance."

Peter sat up and looked around her room suspiciously.

_God, Peter, I check my room for bugs twice a day too, _he heard Claire's voice say in his head.

He rolled his eyes and sat up on one elbow. "I have already put her in enough danger asking her to spy on Nathan for us. Can you imagine the position it would put her in if she figures out who I am? This is getting out of hand."

"Peter, _Elie_ agreed to be your spy of her own free will," she reminded him. "She obviously wants to do the right thing. She's making this choice. Let her."

"I'm just…worried," he admitted finally.

"Peter, there are a lot better things to be worried about than your date to your mom's garden party next Saturday."

"Speaking of things to worry about," Peter answered, chuckling, "did you see my ID badge when you were at my apartment? I can't find it, and I need it for my shift tomorrow night."

"I was already there when you got home, Pete," she told him. "It's probably just laying around your apartment somewhere."

Peter thought about it for a moment. His eyes widened suddenly. "Holy shit!" he yelled as he jumped up from her bed and dashed toward her window.

"Where the hell are you going? Dinner's in half an hour. Your mom's gonna be pissed," Claire told him.

"I gotta go to D.C.," he answered, pulling up her window. "I'll try to be back before dinner."

She opened her mouth to protest, but Peter had already disappeared.

* * *

Elie spent the rest of her afternoon after escaping the Petrellis running around D.C. She stopped and got her car serviced, went shopping for a new dress, and finally picked up a few groceries. She paused when she got back into her apartment building's garage and called her father. She got his voicemail, and told him that there was an infestation of finches in her building and she would love any help he could offer on the problem. She remembered the mystery ID badge in her glove box and grabbed it along with her sack of groceries and the garment bag her new dress was in.

It was a balancing act getting up the stairs. She held the hangar of her new dress in her teeth as she unlocked her door. She kicked it shut, threw the dress across the back of a kitchen chair and set her groceries on the counter. She turned the water on and started to put the piece of plastic under the hot stream. Almost faster than she could perceive, the badge was ripped from her hand and a strong hand was around her throat. Fear clenched her chest until she realized he wasn't attempting to strangle her. He was only holding her tight enough so she couldn't turn her head.

"I need this," he said into her ear, "and you don't need to know who I am."

Elie gulped. "That was quick," she told him.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, not releasing his hold on her.

"I _just_ called my dad, and got his voice mail," Elie informed the mystery man holding her. "I didn't think I'd hear from him or you for a while."

"I came for my ID," he said into her ear. "I can't let you know who I am."

"You're lucky that thing was so filthy."

"Busy day Friday," he explained shortly. "You needed to tell me something?"

"I had brunch with the senator and his family today," she said stiffly, shifting uncomfortably in his grasp.

"Lucky you."

She rolled her eyes as his sarcasm. "His ex-wife wanted me to go to a party with his brother. I agreed."

"That was nice of you, but I don't really need to know this," he breathed into her ear.

"Would you like to know that Senator Petrelli basically asked me to find out if his brother was involved in anything less than savory?"

Silence oppressed the room. Elie felt the man holding her shift his weight and adjust his hand on her throat.

"What does he think Peter's involved in?" he whispered.

Elie shivered at his warm breath on her neck, though she didn't know why. "He didn't say," she answered finally.

Another silence filled the room until Elie dared to whisper, "Are you Peter?"

In a rush, the man was gone, and one of her windows was open to the night air.


	4. Chapter 4: Changing Dreams

It was Thursday before another list of names crossed Nathan Petrelli's desk. He promptly signed the document and asked Elie to deliver it to the FBI before she went on her lunch break. Feeling very much like Jason Bourne she took pictures of each page with her phone and then called her dad. She was more than a little relieved when he actually answered the phone.

"Daddy? Hey, I found out that some people are going to be hunting soon," she said, trying not to sound too ridiculous. "I was hoping to watch some finches on my lunch break. Any ideas?"

"How about Jefferson's in half an hour?" her father suggested in return.

"Sounds like a plan," Elie answered before hanging up and marching into the J. Edgar Hoover FBI building.

She delivered her list and rushed over to the diner three blocks down from the Jefferson Memorial. She took a booth next to the wall, ordered a cup of coffee, and waited.

She didn't have to wait long. She heard someone sit down behind her and the voice with no face that she was starting to get used to said, "Don't turn around, Elie."

"Wasn't planning on it," she answered, irritated, as she passed him her phone. "I had to deliver the list to the FBI, but I got a copy of it first. They won't roll on it for a couple of hours with all the red tape they've got to deal with. I figured you'll be quicker."

"We will," he answered, passing her back the phone. "I've copied the files. Thanks."

She heard a whoosh and she knew he was already gone.

* * *

"God-dammit!"

Elie heard the shouted curse along with the sound of a phone slamming at around 5:30, just before she left for the night. With her car keys in hand, she poked her head into the senator's office to see him pacing and running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Is everything okay, Senator?"

"Oh, Elie," he said in a surprised tone as he turned around. "Everything's fine, it's just…I've been working with the FBI on this anti-terrorism thing, and a raid sort of went bad today."

Elie feigned shock and concern and asked, "Was anyone killed?"

"No, it's nothing like that, it's just that they raided several addresses today, and they were all abandoned; like they'd been warned or something," the senator explained as he sat back down behind his desk. "I think my guy at the FBI has a traitor in his unit."

"I certainly hope not, Sir," Elie told him. "I'd hate to think there are FBI agents who would protect terrorists."

"So would I, Elie," he answered, sighing. "I'll be leaving early tomorrow to go home to New York. I'll still be seeing you Saturday, won't I?"

"Of course," she assured him.

"Well, goodnight then," he said.

"Goodnight, Sir," she answered brightly. "Better luck next time."

Nathan gave her his most winning smile. "Thanks, Elie."

She smiled at this small victory as she closed the senator's office door and made her way to her car.

* * *

"Ma!" Nathan called as he dropped his garment bag and his overnight bag on the floor of the entryway of the Petrelli Mansion in upstate New York.

"You're early," she told him as she emerged from the sitting room and kissed him on the cheek.

"Yeah, I hoping to spend some time with Claire," Nathan explained. "Is she home yet?"

"She usually goes to see Peter before she comes home for the weekend," Angela answered. "She won't be home until late tonight."

Nathan sighed and said, "Can't you keep her from seeing him, or something?"

"Not even if I wanted to. She loves him more than she loves you," his mother explained as she turned back the way she came. "Dinner's in an hour."

The senator rolled his eyes, picked up his bags, and headed up the stairs.

* * *

"It's open!" Peter's voice called from inside his apartment.

Claire smiled as she turned the knob and walked into the dimly lit apartment. "You know, it's not considered safe to leave your door unlocked in Manhattan," she told him.

"I heard you coming," he told her as he lit his stove with his hand. "Are you moving in?" he asked, eyeing the messenger bag, duffel, and garment bag she'd just dropped on his floor.

"No," she answered in mock annoyance. "I'm going to Angela's tonight, and I had to bring all my school stuff and my dress for the party tomorrow. The only thing I'm missing is my date."

Peter froze. "What was that last word?" he asked.

"Date," Claire answered slyly. "His name is Bobby, and he's a very nice guy."

"He'd better be," Peter muttered as he pulled a pan out of his cabinet.

She grinned at her uncle's sudden bout of over-protectiveness. "What are you making?"

"Grilled cheese," he answered. "You want one?"

Claire raised an incredulous eyebrow. "You're having grilled cheese for dinner?"

Peter glared at her. "I am a _guy_. My cooking abilities are limited. You want a sandwich or not?"

"Sure," she answered, opening his cabinet and rummaging around. "Aha!" she said as she withdrew a can of tomato soup.

"What are you doing?" Peter asked her, kicking the refrigerator door shut and balancing an armful of bread, butter, and cheese.

"You can't have grilled cheese without tomato soup," Claire answered as though it were obvious. "Do you have a saucepan?"

"What's a saucepan?"

"Oh my God. You _really_ are a guy."

"You must miss your brother," Peter replied.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you keep torturing me."

"Hey, Lyle tortured _me_," Claire protested.

"In self-defense."

She punched him hard on the arm and he shook his head and sighed. "Try the cabinet closest to the fridge," he told her.

A few seconds later, Claire held up a deep, round pan with a long handle. "_This_ is a saucepan," she informed her uncle.

"I'll keep that in mind," Peter answered through gritted teeth.

Claire opened the largest kitchen drawer and took out the can opener. A few moments later, Peter said, "You're bleeding."

She looked down to see a cut along her palm where the metal lid of the can sliced it open. She cursed and washed the blood off under the faucet.

"You still can't feel pain?" Peter asked seriously.

"Nope," she answered shortly. "But I'm dealing with it."

Peter swallowed his thoughts and went about making the sandwiches while Claire poured the can of soup into the saucepan. She turned on the gas and Peter lit it with his hand before she could ask him where the matches were.

"When did you pick that one up?"

"From Flint," he answered quickly. "He's actually the one who set Pinehearst on fire."

"Oh," Claire replied. "Did you know he's my uncle?"

"Really?"

"I saw it in the files my dad had. He was Meredith's brother," she said sadly. "Don't worry. You're still my favorite uncle."

She showed him a forced smile, which he didn't really buy, but ignored, saying, "You're still my favorite niece."

"I'm your only niece."

He scoffed. "The only one I know about."

She shoved him playfully. They fell into a comfortable silence until their meager dinner was ready. They sat down at the rickety kitchen table with a beer and a bottle of water.

"So," Claire began between bites of her sandwich, "did you do anything interesting this week?"

"Meaning?"

"You know what I mean, Peter."

"Fine," he relented, sitting back in his chair. "Nathan set the FBI loose on some more people Thursday. Elie warned us. We got them out in time."

"Good," Claire smiled. "So…"

"What?"

"Details, Peter, I want details."

He smiled at her childishness. "There was this Japanese family in Connecticut, and the kid could breathe under water. I took Hiro with me to help me convince them. Matt and Daphne went to West Virginia. There was a family of seven, all of them with different abilities. We're probably going to have to split them up to keep them safe. Your dad's in charge of relocating everyone we find."

"Where are all you guys hiding out anyway?"

"Why do you want to know?" Peter asked suspiciously.

"So I could visit," Claire suggested hopefully.

"No fucking way," Peter answered quickly. "Claire, you promised you wouldn't get involved."

"Seeing my dad is _not_ getting involved," she argued.

"It could put us all in danger because Noah is _not _the only father you've got," Peter said loudly and firmly.

Claire stared into her soup. "I'm sorry, Peter."

"No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shouted at you," he apologized. "And I will tell Noah that he needs to go see his Clairebear sometime soon."

Claire smiled at the use of her father's pet name for her. "Thanks, Pete."

The ate in silence for a few minutes before Claire asked, "Are you ready for your date tomorrow?"

Peter immediately tensed as his ears reddened. Claire grinned mischievously. "You can't back out of it now," she told him. "Have you got your clothes ready?"

"Claire, I was dressing myself for my parents' parties way before you showed up."

"You don't have to get all defensive about it," she told him in the same sharp manor with which he spoke to her. Deciding to change tack, she asked, "Are you looking forward to seeing Elie?"

"I saw her yesterday," Peter muttered as he idly stirred his soup.

Claire rolled her eyes. "I meant _outside_ the context of your little spy operation."

"I guess," he answered noncommittally.

Claire sat back and regarded her uncle carefully before saying, "What's bothering you about this, Peter? I was only kidding the other day when I asked you if you dreamed about her, but…did you?"

"Yes," he admitted finally.

When he offered no further explanation, she said, "Well, was it bad?"

He shook his head slowly. "I can dream the future, Claire," he began, "but you know as well as anybody that the future isn't written in stone."

"I understand, Peter. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

He nodded silently and Claire kissed the top of his head before grabbing her many bags and heading out the door.

* * *

Nathan jumped up when he heard the front door open and close. He smiled when he saw the petite blonde and her many bags standing in the entry hall.

"Hey, let me help you with that," he said, picking up her overnight bag.

She looked back at him with wide eyes. "Dad?" she asked. "Did-did you wait up for me?"

"Yeah," he answered, smiling. "I just wanted to see you without all the craziness we're going to endure tomorrow."

She returned his smile, albeit nervously. "Thanks," she said quietly before starting for the stairs.

They walked up the stairs in silence. "So, uh, how's school been?" Nathan asked, standing uncomfortably in her doorway.

"It's school," she answered, dumping her bags on her bed.

"Have you joined any organizations, or made any friends?" he asked, his hands still in his pockets.

Claire smiled to herself as she unzipped her garment bag and withdrew her dress for the next day. As she hung it on the closet door, she said, "I'm not doing the whole sorority thing if that's what you mean. I had enough of the whole competitive social pariah thing in high school."

Nathan chuckled. "Yeah, that's why I went to a military school," he said jokingly.

Claire turned around and looked at him sternly with her arms crossed. "You went to Annapolis because that's what your dad wanted you to do," she told him. "Sort of like how I'm going to NYU because that's what all my assorted parents and grandparents want me to do."

He shook his head. "Claire, I never wanted to force you to do anything."

"Don't give me that, Nathan, you want to run the world."

"I want to _save_ the world, just like that idiot brother of mine."

"Peter is _not_ an idiot."

"I think you've been spending way too much time with him."

"I see him once a week," Claire argued back, "although that is more than I see you, and you're supposedly my father."

"Is there a problem?"

Angela Petrelli was standing in the doorway looking just as calm and collected as she ever did. She didn't look angry or upset, she just looked expectant.

"I was just going to bed," Nathan muttered before quickly traversing the hall toward his room.

Claire angrily went back to unpacking her bags. Angela glided into her room and said, "Don't choose sides in this, Claire."

"What are you talking about?"

"This battle between my sons," Angela explained. "It's going to get worse. People are going to get hurt. People are going to die. Children will never be born."

The last statement was so quiet, Claire wasn't entirely sure she heard it. She would have asked about it, but Angela's stony gaze met hers and kept her silent.

"I can't lose you too," Angela told her.

Claire watched as her grandmother absently played with a strand of her blonde hair before resting her hand on her arm. The younger woman nodded, and Angela returned a weak smile. Claire could swear she saw a tear escape from the implacable woman's eye as she left the room.

* * *

_Elie struggled for breath in Peter's arms. She was pale and gaunt. Her auburn hair was dirty. The gold flecks had disappeared from her green eyes. Her bony fingers caressed Peter's jaw._

_"I'm so sorry," she whispered through chapped lips. Her eyes suddenly widened as her breath caught in her throat and her hand fell away._

_"No!" Peter yelled, shaking her. "No!"_

"No!"

Peter awoke in a cold sweat and took in his dark and dingy Manhattan apartment. He had to take several deep breaths before he could even consider laying back down.

The dream had changed.

* * *

A/N: I don't actually have anything against sororities and sorority girls, I just figured that Claire would be rather sick of the stereotypical cheerleader/sorority girl type at this point in her life.


	5. Chapter 5: Dresses, Secrets, and Dates

Elie awoke early in her motel room. She couldn't afford anything nicer and her mom's place in Buffalo was too far away. When Heidi found out about the roadside dive she was staying in, she was probably going to tell Elie she could have stayed with the Petrellis. That would have been awkward as hell.

She took her time getting ready. She spent an hour and a half on her hair and make up. When she was finally ready, she threw some meager supplies into a pink clutch and headed for her car. She checked out of the motel on her way out. It was her plan to escape the Petrellis as soon as the party was over.

She had to remember not to bite her lip as she headed toward the Petrelli mansion.

"You look like crap."

Peter just glared at his niece in response. He knew he looked like death warmed over. He didn't get any sleep after he woke up screaming and he had to get up early to iron his suit. Claire was right. He should have gotten his suit out the last night.

"Aren't you going to compliment me on how my dress matches my eyes?" Claire asked him slyly.

Peter groaned as he leaned against the wall in the entryway and closed his eyes. "I'm not in the mood for this, Claire."

He felt her small hand resting gently on his shoulder. "The gray suit looks very nice."

Peter genuinely smiled and said, "Thanks."

The door opened and closed and Heidi and the boys tramped in. Heidi was wearing a form-fitting, knee-length violet number. Monty and Simon were in khakis with navy blazers, and they didn't look too happy about it. Peter smiled at his nephews and said, "I feel your pain, boys."

Heidi's gaze narrowed toward him. "Don't be like that," she warned him. "And you look very nice. I love the cerulean shirt."

"It's blue," Peter said, his brows knit together in confusion.

"Trust me, it's cerulean," Heidi reiterated. "Claire, you look lovely. Your dress matches your eyes perfectly."

Claire spared a smug glance at Peter before politely thanking Heidi.

"Peter, may I speak with you for a moment."

No one noticed the appearance of Angela Petrelli. She was wearing a cream skirt and jacket ensemble with satin trim. Claire had to blink to recognize the woman she rarely saw in any color other than black. Peter pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on and followed her into the study.

She closed the doors behind them and said, "What did you do, Peter?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly.

"Well, you must have done something," she told him sternly as she walked around to face him. "The dream has changed."

"I fucking know that, Mother," Peter hissed back, careful to keep his volume down. "Why do you think I barely slept last night?"

"You have to fix this, Peter."

"I know, and I will," he promised.

Silence lingered as mother and son stared at each other with determination.

"She was so beautiful," Angela said quietly as she looked out the window onto the party preparations. "It was rather terrifying to have her replaced with a vision of her mother dying before she even had a chance to be born."

Peter roughly grabbed his mother's shoulder and spun her around to face him. "How do you think I felt, huh? I lost my own damned child. My little girl. But I will get her back, I swear to God, I will get her back."

"You can't fix everything, Peter," she warned him as he turned toward the door. "You can't always save the world."

With his hand on the knob, Peter turned and said, "Watch me."

"Was there ever a time when the Petrellis were truly happy?" Claire asked as she and Heidi meandered outside.

"Truly happy? No," Heidi admitted. "Happy enough? I think so. It was a long time ago, though. It was right after Nathan and I got married, and Peter hadn't yet completely pissed his father off by becoming a nurse, and Daniel Linderman hadn't completely woven himself into the fabric of all our lives. When the honeymoon was over, this family started to decay a little bit."

Claire focused on the ground beneath her feet as she said, "I'm sorry, it just seems like they're all fighting all the time. If it's not Nathan and Peter, it's Nathan and Angela, or Peter and Angela."

"Their problem is that they're all alike," Heidi told her. "They're all just too damned stubborn. A trait you inherited, I think."

Claire smiled slyly. "Maybe," she admitted.

"Speaking of inheritance," the older woman began, "what exactly are we telling everyone about you today. Nathan's got campaign supporters coming. We're certainly not going to tell them the truth."

Claire smiled at Heidi's frankness. It was a quality she really admired in the woman. "I'm the daughter of a former Petrelli business associate who's fallen on hard times and Angela's taken me in and is sending me to school for him," Claire explained. "The funny thing is, it's almost the truth."

"Really?"

Claire stiffened. She'd forgotten for a moment that Heidi didn't know everything. She knew nothing about Primatech, Pinehearst, or any of the other "special" Petrelli projects. West once told her that improvisation was not her greatest strength, but she quickly said, "Well, my dad actually did some consulting work for the law firm before they adopted me. He had no idea who my dad actually was, of course."

Heidi nodded. "Your family's not in trouble or anything, are they?"

"Oh, no," Claire lied. "Everyone's just fine."

"Oh my God, this is bad," Heidi said as they rounded a corner and walked onto the party grounds.

Claire looked up to see Peter knocking back a glass of champagne. She couldn't say anything to Heidi, but it would be very difficult for Peter to actually get drunk thanks to Claire's regenerative abilities. She hung back and watched as Heidi marched up to Peter and reamed him out for drinking heavily before noon. She wanted to watch Peter's reaction, but a small tapping finger caught her attention instead. She turned to see Monty looking up at her expectantly.

"Hey, Monty," she said, smiling. "Did you need something?"

The little boy took a deep breath. "Claire, you spend more time with Uncle Pete than I do," he began.

"Well, I spend my weeks in the city, it's a little easier for me," she explained.

"Do-do you know if Uncle Peter has a daughter?" he asked hesitantly.

Claire's jaw dropped. "Monty, where on earth did you get such an idea?"

"He was arguing with Grandma and he said something about losing his little girl," Monty explained as though it were obvious. "I didn't even know he had a daughter. Did she die? Was she kidnapped?"

Claire took her half-brother by the hand and led him to the small seating area of fold-up chairs. She sat down and stood Monty directly in front of her so she could be eye level with him. "What, _exactly_, did you hear?"

"Well, when Grandma and Uncle Pete went into the study and she asked him what he did because the dream had changed, he said he didn't know, she told him to fix it, he cursed about it, and then Grandma said something about how beautiful she was and that she wanted her back, and Uncle Peter cursed and said that she was his little girl, and he wanted her back too," Monty explained in a rush.

Claire took a deep breath as she absorbed everything Monty had said. Then it occurred to her that Monty was in the entryway with her and Heidi when Angela and Peter were arguing in the study. She hadn't heard a thing, yet Monty explained everything in detail, and she knew the boy well enough to know he wouldn't make up such a detailed lie.

"Monty, how did you hear all of that?" she asked him. "You were in the same room I was and I didn't hear anything."

Monty shifted uncomfortably and stared at his shoes.

"Monty did you hear them from that far away?"

"I, um…"

"Monty, look at me," Claire said placing her hands on the little boys shoulders. When he obeyed, she continued, "Monty, how long have you been able to hear people from far away?"

"Th-there was an eclipse a while ago, and then I realized I could hear Mom when she was in the kitchen and I was in my bedroom. I heard a lot of things I didn't want to," he answered quietly. "Is there something wrong with me?"

"No," Claire answered quickly, drawing her half-brother into a hug. "There's nothing wrong with you at all. Just, don't tell Dad."

"Can I tell Mom," he asked innocently.

"No, Monty, you can't even tell Simon."

"But, why?"

"Just trust me," Claire told him. "This is the best thing to do for now."

The boy nodded his assent. "Okay, but you never answered my question," he told her.

Claire released a sigh of relief. "Uncle Peter does _not _have a daughter, and he never has," she explained confidently.

"Are you sure? Dad had a daughter he didn't know about. No offense," Monty finished quietly.

She smiled at him in response. "Dad and Peter are almost nothing alike."

"Then what were Uncle Pete and Grandma talking about?" Monty asked, exasperated.

"Monty, I don't know, but I promise you I will find out. And you can't tell anyone about what you overheard either, okay?"

"Okay," he finally agreed.

"Now go find your brother and stay out of trouble," Claire ordered in her best friendly babysitter voice.

She kept her smile plastered on until he'd exited her line of sight. She then jumped up and found Peter still standing by the liquor table listening to Heidi. She wasn't lecturing him anymore, but it was obvious to anyone who knew Peter well that he wasn't paying attention.

Claire opened her mouth to interrupt them when one of the workers called out, "Miss Bennet? Mr. Petrelli?"

"What?" Peter called back, an angry edge in his voice.

"Your guests have arrived," the worker announced before turning on his heel back toward the house.

Heidi smiled back at Peter and said, "Do you want me to come with you? I'll introduce you."

"I can handle it," he assured her sternly before emptying another glass of champagne.

Heidi looked to Claire for support, and the younger woman responded by saying, "I'll talk to him," before trailing after her uncle.

"I don't want to hear about it, Claire," Peter said over his shoulder as they rounded a corner and were out of sight of Heidi and the other early party guests.

"We need to talk, Peter," she told him as she trailed a few feet behind.

"No!"

"It's not about Elie, it's about Monty."

Peter stopped and turned so suddenly Claire nearly ran into him. "What about Monty?"

"He heard everything you and Angela were arguing about this morning," Claire told him.

"Was he listening at the door?"

"No, he was in the entryway with me and Heidi."

"Claire, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying my half-brother has super hearing and he heard you and Angela arguing about dreams changing, you fixing everything, and something about you losing your daughter," she answered. "Peter, what the hell is going on?"

Peter groaned and buried his face in his hands in response. "My God, this is getting completely out of hand," he muttered. "What did you tell Monty?"

"I told him not to tell anyone about his ability or what he overheard," she answered, "but I also promised him I'd find out the truth."

Peter sighed and said, "Look, I will tell you everything tonight when this whole damned party is over."

"You'd better," Claire told him sternly as she strode past him to the front of the house.

Peter's breath caught in his throat when he caught sight of Elie. It occurred to him at that moment that he'd never really taken the time to really look at the woman. She was petite and slender, but she still had curves in all the right places. The dusty pink, knee-length, empire waisted dress she wore only accentuated those curves. The green sash of material under her bust brought out her brilliantly green eyes. Her auburn hair fell in perfectly soft curls about her shoulders. He knew the woman was pretty, he hadn't realized she was gorgeous.

"Pick your chin up off the ground, Peter."

"Huh?" Peter answered, looking at his niece dumbfounded. She just smiled in response.

It was then he noticed a lanky, black haired young man of about twenty standing next to Elie wearing glasses. Peter surmised that this must have been Claire's date, Bobby. Peter had to contain a grin as Claire gave her date a hug. There was a vast height difference between them, and Claire was wearing three-inch heels.

"Bobby, this is Peter, he's, um…he's like my uncle," Claire explained quickly.

Peter politely shook the young man's hand. He felt a burst of energy he'd come to associate with the acquisition of a new power. Everyone else seemed oblivious and he decided he'd note the incident for the discussion he'd be having with Claire that evening.

Claire then turned to Elie and extended her hand. "I'm Claire Bennet, Angela Petrelli's ward."

"Elie Costantin. I work for your, uh, Senator Petrelli," she quickly corrected.

Peter and Claire both caught Elie's near slip up and shared a quick conspiratorial glance before Peter suddenly remembered to introduce himself. Claire then took her date by the hand and led him back to the party.

Peter and Elie spent several awkward moments staring at their shoes before Peter said, "I guess you're just Heidi's unwitting victim too."

"I'm sorry you feel like a victim for having to go on a date with me." Elie's voice held no insult or malice, just nervousness.

"No, that-that's not what I meant at all," Peter quickly replied. "It's just that I know you're probably feeling very strange about being sent on a blind date at some ritzy party with your boss' little brother."

Elie smiled at him. "I probably don't feel anymore awkward than you do," she said. "Heidi told me you were sort of the black sheep of the family."

Peter showed her his trademark crooked grin and said, "_That_ is the understatement of the century."

He offered her his arm, and they headed back toward the party.


	6. Chapter 6: Went to a Garden Party

People milled around for the first hour or so of the party. They drank their water or champagne and munched on hors d'oeuvres while listening to softly played jazz. Nathan joined them after the party had started, telling everyone he was busy working. Peter had the sinking feeling he authorized some sort of raid, but there was nothing he could do about it while trapped at his mother's party.

Nathan's political compatriots pointedly ignored Peter and Claire, as did Nathan himself, despite Heidi's dogged attempts to get them to speak to one another. A couple of military men came over to speak to Elie, so she could give their regards to her father, and that was the longest conversation they had with anyone for the first half of the party. And then Claire and Bobby decided to take a turn on the sparse dance floor, leaving Peter and Elie alone at the table.

"I forgot how boring these parties are," Peter said to no one in particular.

"I know," Elie agreed. "I had to go to a lot of military gatherings when I was a little girl."

Peter smiled sympathetically. "Does your dad like teaching at a military school?" he asked, attempting to keep the conversation going.

Elie cocked an eyebrow at him. "How do you know my dad teaches at VMI?"

Peter froze. The two military men didn't say anything about Colonel Costantin's current assignment. Peter _shouldn't _know anything abut the man.

"I, uh, I think Heidi told me about your dad," he excused. "She's said a lot of things the past week."

Elie looked at him incredulously, but let it pass anyway.

"You want to dance?" he suddenly asked after several moments of uncomfortable silence.

"Um, okay," Elie agreed before Peter took her hand and led her to the dance floor.

He could feel the eyes of every one of his family members boring into him as he danced with Elie. Heidi and Claire were looking on hopefully because they just wanted the best for Peter. Nathan was hopeful because he wanted Elie to get his brother to open up to her, and Angela just wanted her lost granddaughter back.

A slow song started and Peter held her closer. "What's your middle name?" she asked him quietly.

"What?" Peter asked, chuckling.

Elie smiled slyly. "Well, I figured I should know something about you before the end of the party."

"Michael," Peter answered, smiling. "What about you?"

"Anne," she answered. "We're not very interesting on the middle name front, are we?"

"Apparently not," he replied. "Did you like being an only child?"

"When my parents were still together it was fine," she answered. "It got lonely when they divorced, though. Did you like having an older brother?"

"Until recently."

"What happened?"

"We had a fundamental disagreement on how to save the world," he answered honestly.

Elie nodded her understanding. "I can see how that would happen," she said. "You both seem kind of stubborn and set in your ways."

Peter stopped them in the middle of the dance floor and said, "Where did you get that idea?"

"You're a nurse in a family full of lawyers," she told him. "That takes one hell of a stubborn streak. And I know how stubborn the senator is. I work for him."

Peter started dancing again as he said, "Only one of us can be right, though."

The danced in silence until Elie, while looking at her shoes, said, "I'm on your side."

"What?" he asked, unsure of what he'd heard.

She looked him in the eye and said, "I know who you are."

Peter grabbed her elbow and jerked her off the dance floor toward the garden shed. He knew everyone in the yard was staring at them, but he didn't particularly care. When they were out of sight safely behind the shed, he simply asked, "How?"

"My father's an accomplished military commander and I've spent my entire professional life in the political offices of D.C. I'm not an idiot," she told him directly. "If the whole incident with your EMT badge wasn't enough, I just recognized your voice. And who else but his own brother would be interested in fighting Senator Petrelli without completely destroying him?"

Peter covered his face with his hands. "This was a bad idea," he said. "It has to stop. I've put you in too much danger as it is."

"But I can help."

"You can also die," Peter reminded her sternly.

Elie's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why the hell do you even care?"

"You said it yourself, I'm a nurse in a family of lawyers," Peter hissed through nearly clenched teeth. "I care about people."

"I'm going to do everything in my power to stop Nathan Petrelli with or without _your_ help," she informed him angrily as she started to walk away.

With one arm, Peter grabbed her by the waist. His other hand pressed to her face, making her look him in the eyes. "I _cannot_ let you die over this," he told her forcefully.

"Why is my life so important to you?" she asked him quietly.

Peter didn't take the time to answer. He just closed the small gap between them and kissed her hard on the lips. Her shock didn't last long and she responded to him almost immediately, allowing his tongue access to her open mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer and tangled his hand in her auburn curls.

He broke off the kiss suddenly. He heard Claire's voice clearly calling his name with one other word: trouble.

"C'mon," he said, dragging Elie behind him by the wrist.

"What's going-"

"Peter!" Claire exclaimed as she ran up to them. "Monty said he heard someone. They're coming to kill Nathan."

"Who?"

"Him," Elie answered, pointing to a rough-looking young man coming from the direction of the house. "He was in the files on Thursday, from that family in West Virginia."

Claire stared at Elie agape. Peter looked at her and asked, "What can he do?"

Peter got his answer in the form of the liquor table catching fire from flames bursting forth from the young man's hands. Elie and Claire instinctively ducked and Peter ordered them to stay down.

"Senator Petrelli!" the young man screamed viciously.

Nathan stood from his crouched position next to Heidi and took a few defined steps toward the young man. "What do you want?" he asked him sternly.

"You destroyed my family," the young man screamed, "and now you're gonna pay."

The strong stream of flame flowed over Nathan's head as Peter tackled him to the ground. Grunting with the weight of his younger brother on top of him, the senator said, "Peter, where the hell did you come from?"

"Do you really want to have this conversation now?" Peter responded irritably.

"Petrelli!"

The two Petrelli men looked up to see the West Virginian with one hand full of flame and a struggling Simon in the other.

"Simon!" Nathan screamed, stumbling to his feet.

"Do you think your brother's fast enough to save your son?" he asked, his hand moving menacingly toward Simon's head.

Faster than either Petrelli could move, an invisible wave knocked them off their feet. The West Virginian fell as well, allowing Simon to run to his father's arms. Before the young man could completely stand up, Peter had him by the collar, and with a single punch to the head, knocked him unconscious. Breathing heavily, he stepped back as the security guards converged.

"Put something fireproof on his hands," Peter told them quietly. The most senior guard nodded as though he understood.

Peter surveyed the damage. All of the tables were on their backs, as were most of the people. Some of the workers were frantically trying to put out the still-flaming liquor table. Nathan had picked his younger son off the ground and was holding him close. A haggard-looking Angela was helping Heidi to her feet. Claire was hugging Monty to her side while her date examined his broken glasses. Elie was standing where he'd left her, shivering.

He ran over to her, at a normal speed, and gently said, "Elie?"

When she didn't respond, he placed finger under her chin and tilted her head up to look at him. She suddenly sputtered, "I'm s-so sorry. I just-I panicked and I haven't done that in so long and I c-couldn't let him hurt—"

"It's okay, it's okay," Peter assured her, cupping her face in his hands. "Nathan will think it was me. You did the right thing."

He shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around her bare shoulders. She accepted it gratefully and asked, "Why am I sh-shivering? It's not cold out here."

"You're in shock," Peter explained, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "It happens sometimes." He wrapped an arm around her and guided her toward the house. "Come on. You need a drink."

* * *

The police never showed up at the Petrelli mansion. Federal agents showed up instead. They questioned many of the guests, but Angela made sure they stayed clear of the Petrellis and their personal guests. She remained outside, mediating between her guests and the authorities. Nathan was in his office talking busily on the phone. Elie had kicked off her shoes and was curled up on the couch still wrapped in Peter's jacket, sipping the glass of scotch he'd given her. Monty had apparently decided Claire was his lifeline and his head rested in her lap as she comfortingly stroked his back. Her date nervously tapped his foot against the floor while his hands remain clasped together in his lap. Simon was curled in his mother's arms while she lovingly stroked his hair and occasionally placed kisses on his forehead. Peter was in the middle of the long couch with Elie on one side and Claire and Monty on the other. His arms were folded across his chest and he stared intently at his shoes.

"Thanks, Mike, I really appreciate it," Nathan said before hanging up the phone. "Peter, can I talk to you a minute?"

Peter stood up slowly and walked around the couch toward Nathan's office. Claire caught his hand and he smiled down at her. "It'll be okay," he promised and she reluctantly let go of him. He felt Elie's eyes on him as he walked across the hall and closed the door of the office behind him.

The Petrelli brothers faced each other for a long moment; Nathan with his hands on his hips and Peter with his arms across his chest.

"You know who that guy was?" Nathan asked finally.

"No, I've never seen the guy before in my life." It was mostly true. Matt and Daphne were the ones who'd picked the guy up.

"So you didn't send him?"

Peter's eyes widened and he stepped angrily toward his brother. "How could you even think that?" he spat out.

"I don't know what you're capable of anymore, Pete," Nathan answered calmly.

"Funny. I could say the same thing about you," Peter bit back.

A tense silence filled the room to the point of bursting. Nathan finally broke it. "What-what was that thing you did? That concussion wave thing?"

Peter almost wanted to smile. Nathan was so ready to blame him that he didn't even take a moment to consider any other possibilities. Elie was safe, for the moment.

"I, uh, I don't know. I just sort of panicked and that's what came out," he answered finally. "I don't know when I picked it up. Probably just passing someone on the street." He looked his brother in the eye as he lied to him.

Nathan nodded as though he understood. "So did you really make out with my secretary behind the garden shed?"

Peter nearly fell over at the sudden change in topic.

"I, uh…"

Nathan openly grinned. "My God, you really did," he said, the shock evident in his voice. "Peter, what the hell were you thinking? You just met the girl."

"Who the hell are you to criticize me?" Peter asked, facing off with his brother, only the mahogany desk between them. "You've done a lot more with women you've known a lot less."

"Yeah, well, that's me. We're talking about you."

Peter rolled his eyes. "How did you find out anyway?"

"Heidi," Nathan answered simply. "That's what she was telling me about when our flaming friend appeared."

"How did she—"

"She saw you," Nathan answered, cutting him off, "and you must have really been enjoying yourself if you didn't even notice."

Peter clamped his mouth shut as he face involuntarily reddened. With or without Matt's extra sensory perception, he knew he shouldn't have abandoned himself so completely he didn't even notice someone watching them.

"Are you done pissing me off yet, or do I have to stand for more interrogation?" Peter asked irritably.

"Just one more thing," Nathan answered, his previously jovial manner gone. "I understand why you saved Simon, he was just an innocent bystander. But you haven't spoken to me in months. You pretty openly despise my existence. Why did you save me?"

"You're my brother," Peter answered flatly before quickly exiting the office.

The slightest hint of a smile traced the senator's lips as he stared at the wooden door. "I love you too, Pete."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and story alerts. As a writer, I can't be thankful enough for that kind of feedback.


	7. Chapter 7: The Domestics

A/N: This would have been up sooner, but the site was having login issues. I've already started the next chapter, so expect it soon. I'm really happy with this chapter as it brings Matt, Molly, Mohinder, and Daphne into the story. Thanks for the reviews and the alerts. It really means a lot to me. Enjoy!

* * *

"I should probably be going. I have to drive all the way back to D.C.," Elie said a few hours later when they were all gathered in the sitting room.

"Please don't," Nathan asked from his chair by the fireplace. "Dinner will be ready in half an hour, and you wouldn't get back until tomorrow morning at this point anyway."

"But if I wait until tomorrow—"

"You have the day off on Monday."

"I what?"

"Well, after the day I've had today, I'm sure as hell not going into work on Monday, and neither should the rest of my staff," Nathan explained. "Besides, I don't want to be easily reachable if the press gets wind of this first thing Monday morning."

"But I don't have anywhere to stay," Elie protested.

"You can stay here," Angela told her. "I have more than enough room, even with my whole family staying here."

She threw a meaningful glance in Peter's direction that he pointedly ignored. Heidi smiled gleefully. Monty watched the whole exchange in confusion.

"I, um, I should probably get some things from my car then," Elie said, slipping on her shoes.

"I'll come with you," Peter said quickly, following her before she had even reached the door.

Elie waited until they were well outside before she said, "Do you really not like your family that much?"

Peter shook his head. "I just don't like being alone with them with only Claire as a buffer," he explained.

She smiled. "Claire is _actually_ your niece, isn't she?"

He smiled back, crookedly. "She is," he confirmed, "but you acted like you already knew that earlier."

"It's sort of an unspoken knowledge in Senator Petrelli's office," Elie explained. "He has a picture of her on his desk, but it goes away whenever a reporter or another member of congress pays a visit. No body ever asks him about it, but we all know. It's not all that uncommon on Capitol Hill."

Peter nodded silently as he walked along with his hands in his pocket. Elie wrapped his jacket around her shoulders more tightly to block out the quickly cooling air.

"I hope the dry cleaners can get the grass stain out of this jacket," she said. "You looked good in it."

Peter laughed nervously. "You look better."

Elie stopped dead. "Why did you kiss me?"

He froze in his place a few steps ahead of her. Slowly, he turned and said, "I'd be lying if said I knew why, because I honestly don't know."

"Well, I don't know why I kissed you back if that makes you feel any better," Elie said as she brusquely walked by him.

Peter gritted his teeth and watched her as she withdrew a garment bag and an old, army duffel from the back of her car. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her around to look at him.

"Don't do this," he requested quietly.

"Do what?"

"Get angry because I told you the truth."

"I'm sorry, I just like people to have reasons for the things they do," she told him, looking him in the eyes.

Peter bit his lip and leaned over just enough so his face was level with hers. "Maybe I kissed you because I was meant to," he told her.

"Like destiny?" she asked with one eyebrow raised.

He half-smiled nervously and said, "Yeah, like destiny."

Elie shook her head. "With all the randomness of life, how could you possibly believe in fate or destiny?"

He leaned in so his face was only an inch from hers. "Let's just say that I've had some very compelling experiences with destiny."

Elie smiled. Their lips had barely touched when they heard the sound of gravel crunching under foot. Their heads snapped apart and their bodies straightened away from one another. The lanky figure a few feet away practically winced.

"Sorry," Bobby apologized as he started to walk around them to his own car.

"I'm gonna go inside," Elie announced before gathering her bags and practically jogged back toward the house.

"I am really sorry, man," Bobby said to Peter. "You probably really hate me right now. My mom called, so I had to split. I didn't mean to interrupt. I'm _so_ sorry."

"You said that three times."

Bobby gulped. "I guess I'm just nervous after today," he admitted. "I've never really seen anything like that before."

Peter turned to the taller man with his arms crossed. "Really?" he asked incredulously.

Bobby regarded him suspiciously. "Why do you say it like that?"

Peter took a step closer. "I know you can do something. Something special," he clarified. "I know because I can do something too. I absorb other peoples' abilities, and it would be better for me if I knew what yours was before it comes out at an inopportune moment."

"I can control electrical objects," Bobby answered in one quick breath.

"What? Like you can talk to machines?"

"No, it's not nearly that useful," the younger man explained almost regretfully. "I can turn the lights on and off, I can turn on the TV, but I can't change the channels, and—" He pointed to his little blue car and the engine immediately turned over and came to life.

Peter shrugged. "It's not bad," he assured Bobby.

The younger man shook his head. "I wasn't kidding when I said I'd never seen anything like that today. All the powers I've seen are pretty innocuous. There's a group of us at NYU—"

"What?" Peter cut him off urgently.

"We-we meet a couple times a month," Bobby explained hesitantly.

"You have to stop that right now," Peter ordered him, "because if he gets to one of you, he's gonna get all of you."

"Who?"

"Nathan."

Bobby's eyes widened. "What would your brother want with me?"

"Because you have and ability, and some things have happened…and Nathan decided that we're all dangerous," Peter explained. "He's already locked some people up and sent a lot more, like the family of that guy today, into hiding."

"H-how do you know all of this?" Bobby asked him nervously.

"I'm very well-informed," Peter answered shortly. "Look, whoever is in your group needs to lay low, and you need to stay away from one another."

The younger man nodded as though he understood. "What about Claire?" he asked reluctantly. "I know you probably think I'm just some guy she asked to a party, but I really like her and…well, do you want me to stay away from her too?"

"No," Peter answered. "You keep her close. It'll probably be better for you in the long run if you do. Just don't hurt her, or _I _will send you into hiding."

Bobby released a nervous giggle and then pursed his lips together as his ears turned red. Peter extended his right hand and said, "I'll see you around?"

"Definitely."

* * *

"Where are you going?" Claire asked him in a stage whisper as she walked into his room after a tense family dinner.

Peter stepped back from the window and turned to face her. "I have to go talk to Matt," he explained simply.

"No, you promised to tell me what's going on with you and your mom and all this business of you having a little girl," she reminded him angrily.

"I will, I just need to talk to Matt first, okay?"

"Why?"

"First of all, I need to find out what the hell happened today," he told her, "and, somehow I think only Matt's going to understand what's going on right now."

"You mean with you and Elie and the whole little girl thing?" Claire clarified.

Peter silently nodded.

"Fine then. Go," she told him, "but even if it's 3 o'clock in the morning, you're going to tell me what's going on."

He smiled crookedly and gave her a mock salute before leaping out of the window. Claire shook her head and made sure she locked his bedroom door behind her.

Dirt and rock crunched beneath his feet as he landed on the path to the worn farmhouse. The place was old, small, and nearly falling apart, but it had the advantage of being in the middle of nowhere in Appalachia and of being readily defensible. This was where Matt and Daphne were living and protecting Molly.

Peter barely had time to see a blur before the blonde, puckish form of Daphne appeared before him.

"Hey, Pete," she said without her normal exuberance. "We thought you'd be coming by."

They sped into the house together to find Molly in the living room doodling in a notebook while she watched TV. She smiled brightly upon seeing Peter and jumped up to give him a hug.

"It's good to see you," she told him.

"Well, you get taller every time I see you," he answered. "Pretty soon, you'll be taller than Daphne."

"Hey, don't encourage her in the growth department," Daphne admonished jokingly. Molly giggled.

The cheerful woman's face grew solemn. "Matt and Mohinder are in the office in the back."

"Mohinder's here?"

"Yeah, you'll probably find that's the root of a lot of our problems right now," she explained.

Molly's face grew downright depressed and Daphne stroked her back comfortingly. "Come on. Let's go frost those sugar cookies we made earlier."

"You made sugar cookies?" Peter asked Daphne incredulously as he watched them head for the kitchen.

"I figured since I'm stuck in the house most of the time, I should learn how to be a little bit domestic," Daphne explained as she waved him off.

Peter smiled to himself as he walked down the dimly lit hallway toward the meager office at the back of the house. He didn't bother knocking as Matt would know he was coming. He opened the door to find Mohinder sitting in the swivel chair from 1972 looking like a deflated balloon. Matt was next to him perched on the end of the wooden desk with his arms folded across his chest. They both looked up at Peter and waited for him to speak.

He leaned against the closed door and said, "Just give me the abbreviated version."

Matt looked sternly at Mohinder. The Indian man gulped and replied, "I wanted to see Maya."

"Oh, my God," Peter groaned.

"When Gary Kendall got to me in Michigan, we both wanted nothing more than to go to New York. He helped me steal a car and we drove all night. I dropped him off just outside of your mother's neighborhood," he explained.

"So you knew what he was going to do?" Peter asked angrily stepping closer to the already defeated looking man.

"Not exactly," Mohinder admitted, "but I had a good idea."

"He nearly killed my nephew," Peter said, his anger biting in each word. "Now Nathan has more reason to hunt us down. Was it worth it?"

Mohinder continued to stare at his feet. "Maya has a boyfriend," he muttered.

Peter shook his head in disbelief. "Look at me," he said sternly. When Mohinder didn't respond, Peter reached into his mind with Matt's abilities. Mohinder looked up at him with a blank stare. "If you ever do anything like this again," Peter began threateningly, "I will throw you in a hole so deep, you'll wish Nathan had caught you. Do you understand me?"

Mohinder silently nodded with a set jaw.

"Hey," Matt said in a gentle tone as his body relaxed, "Daph and Molly are decorating cookies. Why don't you go help them?"

Mohinder's face remained downcast as he silently left the room. Matt finally looked his younger friend in the eye. "What's on your mind, Peter?"

"What? You don't know?" he asked sarcastically as he sat in the recently vacated chair.

"Not with your mind," Matt answered. "What's going on?"

Peter sighed. "How did you know you were supposed to be with Daphne?" he asked finally.

Matt raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I know I've told you this story before," he said, settling himself comfortably on the desk.

"Yeah, I know, just…tell me again," Peter asked quietly.

"Well," Matt began, "you, or 'future you' sent me to the middle of Africa and this precog, Usutu, rescued me and I gave me this disgusting paste and I went on a spirit walk and Daphne and I were married and we had Molly and a baby, Daniella. We were happy. And then I saw her as soon as I got off the plane in the U.S."

"And you freaked her the hell out," Peter interjected. "Daphne told me about that part."

Matt laughed lightly. "Yeah, but she eventually came around," he said. "I had to chase her some, but…we were meant to be together. Nothing could change that. Our lives haven't really turned out the way I saw it, but we're together and that's all that matters. Why do you ask?"

Peter shifted uncomfortably. "I can dream the future."

"Yeah?" Matt said, urging him to continue.

"I, um, I dreamt a future where I was with someone…"

"Elie," Matt provided.

Peter raised both eyebrows in surprise. Matt smiled slyly. "You're practically screaming her name in your head," he told his friend. "It's not that hard to pick up when you've got your guard down."

Peter smiled nervously and tried to laugh. "Do you-do you think that there are things about the future that we just can't change?"

"Why would we want to?" Matt asked.

"I could get her killed," Peter answered, almost in a whisper.

Matt took a deep breath and said, "Daphne died in the vision I saw."

Peter internally shuddered. A part of him always knew that Daphne hadn't been fast enough to escape the blast in Costa Verde. He'd felt a little guilty about it since he got to know her in the present.

"I'm sorry," Peter replied, looking at his shoes.

"Peter, you're missing the point," Matt told him. "The threat of Daphne dying in the future didn't stop me from pursuing her and living with her in the present. You know, people always say don't live in the past, but we shouldn't live in fear of the future either, even when we see it coming."

"But how did you know that you actually loved Daphne because you just loved her, and not because you knew you were supposed to?" Peter asked, stumbling over his words as he went.

Matt shook his head and smiled sympathetically. "I don't know," he answered. "Sometimes I think I saw that future because that's we needed to bring us together. But actually falling in love, that was just us. That answer your question?"

Peter nodded. "I think so."

They looked up at a light knock at the door. Molly let herself in and said, "The cookies are ready."

"That was fast," Peter commented.

"Daphne was in charge," Matt reminded him. "What did you expect?"

* * *

Claire tossed and turned until she heard a light rapping at the window. Peter was floating just outside holding a plate of what appeared to be frosted sugar cookies.

"Take these," he said, handing her the plate as soon as she opened the window.

"Where did you get these?" she asked as he stepped into the room and shut the window behind him.

"Daphne was bored and decided to try her hand at baking," he explained before collapsing backward onto her bed.

Claire cautiously bit into one of the cookies. She smiled. "They're really good," she said through a mouth full of cookie. "Not as good as Mom's, but still really good."

Peter laughed lightly. Claire set the cookies aside on her desk and sat down on her bed. "Okay, Peter," she began seriously, "it's time to tell me what's going on."

He sat up and faced his niece. "You've checked the room?"

She nodded.

"Where do you want me to start?"

"Explain what happened today first," she requested.

"Well, that's easy," he began. "Elie was right. It was Gary Kendall from West Virginia. We did split up the family. Your dad sent Gary to stay with Mohinder in Michigan for a while, which was apparently a very bad idea. Gary wanted revenge on Nathan for breaking up his family, and Mohinder wanted to see his ex. So, they stole a car and drove all the way here. You know what happened to Gary. Molly was just thinking about Mohinder to make sure he was okay, and realized he was in New York. Daphne picked him up right after he found out his ex was dating someone else. He's gonna stay with Matt and Daphne for the foreseeable future. He doesn't need to be left alone and he sure as hell doesn't need to be responsible for anyone else. Besides, it's probably a good thing to have someone with super strength guarding Molly."

Claire nodded as she absorbed all of the information. "Now for the hard part," she said. "What's been happening in your dreams, Peter? What happened to your little girl, and what does Elie have to do with any of it?"

Peter closed his eyes. "I guess it was about three weeks ago when the dreams first started," he began. "right after I met the colonel. Sometimes the dreams come in ways you have to interpret. Sometimes they're just clear images, like watching a movie. These were all like watching a movie. I saw me and Elie kissing, holding each other while we walked down Broadway…making love. And then, just before I saw her for the first time, there was something else in the dreams; a baby girl with black hair and dark green eyes that had flecks of gold in them."

Claire smiled widely. "Hair like you, eyes like Elie."

Peter nodded solemnly. "You loved her," he said. "You never wanted to give her back."

Her forehead furrowed in confusion. "You keep talking like it was in the past," she pointed out, "but it hasn't happened yet."

"The dreams stopped, Claire," he told her. "Instead of me and Elie and our baby girl, I held Elie in my arms on the floor of a prison while she died. I had the dream for the first time last night. Something changed when Elie started informing for us. Now she dies."

A solitary tear escaped Claire's eye. "And Angela knows all of this?" she asked.

He nodded. "She had the same dreams, unfortunately," he said. "She wants me to fix it. She wants her granddaughter back."

"She probably just wants to know what the girl can do," Claire muttered bitterly.

Peter chuckled. "You're probably right. Now I've told you everything. Can I go to bed now?"

She placed a light kiss on his forehead. "You should tell her," Claire advised.

"She'll think I'm insane."

"She's one of us, Peter," Claire reminded him. "She'll understand."

Peter shook his head and kissed his niece goodnight before creeping stealthily out into the hall. He paused at the door of the guest room. Light emanated from the gap between the door and the floor. He looked through the barrier with the colonel's ability. Elie was awake. Before he even realized it, Peter's hand was on the knob.


	8. Chapter 8: What Happens In Bed

Elie rolled over in the unfamiliar bed and opened her eyes to Peter Petrelli's sleeping face. His dress shirt was half-unbuttoned and his pants were ridiculously wrinkled. He looked like a young hobo. She smiled as he remembered the insane conversation that had gotten her in this lovely position.

* * *

She tensed as the bedroom door opened.

"It's okay, it's me," Peter said as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Have you ever heard of knocking?" she asked angrily.

"I grew up in this house, I'm not used to knocking on the doors," he told her.

"So the Petrellis have always had this much money?" she asked looking around the room appraisingly.

Peter chuckled as he sat down on the end of her bed. "I'm pretty sure my great-grandfather was dirt poor when he got off the boat," he joked.

Elie smiled as she wrapped her sweater around her tank-top clad form. "What are you doing in here, Peter?" she asked him.

"I have to tell you something," he said.

"About what?" she asked when he didn't immediately continue.

He took a deep breath and looked into her face. "I know exactly why I kissed you," he told her.

"Well?"

Peter closed his eyes and the clock on the bedside table, the phone, and the overhead light sparked and went dead. Only the lamp on the bedside table remained alight.

"What did you just do?" she asked.

"I shorted out every electrical device in the room except for that lamp," he explained shortly.

"Why?"

"It would save me from having to sweep the room for bugs for an hour."

"Don't you think you're being a little paranoid?"

"Did my brother send you to spy on me?"

"I would never spy on you."

"It's not you I don't trust, it's Nathan."

"Why are you so ready to trust me?"

"That's what I was trying to tell you."

"What?!"

Peter took another deep breath. "I can absorb other people's abilities. That's about the only thing I inherited from my father," he began. "From my mother, I inherited the ability to dream the future."

"Like a psychic?"

"No," he replied quickly. "Psychics make educated guesses about the present. I see the future, or, at least the future as it exists the moment I see it."

"What does any of this have to do with me?" Elie asked.

"I saw you in my dreams," Peter answered as he looked at his shoes. "I saw you before I met you, before I even saw a picture of you. I saw the two of us together. On the first night, I saw us kissing behind the garden shed. I was wearing this stupid shirt and you were wearing that pink dress. The only difference is that you were more beautiful today." He looked up at her and showed her his nervous, sideways grin.

Elie swallowed this information silently. "So," she began, barely at a whisper, "you just kissed me because you thought you were supposed to."

"Hey," Peter said, a hand on her face, making her look at him. "I kissed you because I had the overwhelming urge to be closer to you. And I honestly wasn't thinking about the future when I did it."

Elie stared at him silently for a solid minute before saying, "My mother painted the future, or at least she said she did. I have to admit, some of her work was shockingly accurate. She never sold any of it. Mostly, she just burned the canvases once she was finished painting. She was a functioning alcoholic. She also, apparently, had a blood clot she didn't know about because she died of an aneurism three years ago. The last thing she painted was of New York going nuclear. That one never happened, thank God. New York's been abused enough."

Peter smiled knowingly and pushed a strand of auburn hair behind Elie's ear. "Her name was Elyse," he said quietly.

Elie's shocked eyes locked onto his. "Did my dad tell you that?"

He shook his head. "It was our daughter's middle name."

"That's not funny."

"It's the truth, though," Peter told her.

A tear slid down Elie's pale cheek. "Why are you telling me this?"

He moved closer to her and took her left hand in his right. "Because our daughter isn't a part of the future I dream anymore. Everything changed when you helped us save those people from Nathan," he told her. "You have to stop, or things are just going to get worse."

"Then why did you ask me to do it?" she asked, exasperated.

"It was your dad's idea," Peter explained distancing himself from Elie. "He thought that if you had doubts about Nathan, then you would help us, and you did. But the dream changed after we rescued those people on Thursday. Elie, I'm begging you to stop this."

She stared at her hands in her lap as she silently nodded her head. "What was her first name?" she asked quietly.

Peter smiled. "Natalia."

Elie looked up and returned his smile. "You pick that name out," she said.

"Probably," he admitted, grinning.

"I barely know you," she said seriously, "and yet you're convinced you're going to have a child with me. I should really be concerned, but I'm not. I believe you."

"Good," Peter said. "I should probably—"

"Don't go," she requested, catching his hand and keeping him seated on the bed.

"Okay," he relented.

A comfortable silence permeated the room. Elie stroked the top of Peter's hand with her thumb.

"How do you deal with all of this, all of your powers?" she asked him quietly. "We didn't really talk about it, or deal with it and my family."

Peter laughed and moved to rest against the headboard and face her. "We don't really talk about it either. What exactly do you want to know?"

Elie snuggled up closely to him. "Why don't you start with yesterday, and just go backwards."

* * *

They'd fallen asleep talking. Peter told her about hijacking the plane and dispersing his friends into hiding. He told her about his father, and Pineherst, and Primatech. He told her about Adam Monroe and Ireland and the Shanti virus. He told her that her mom wasn't alone in her prediction of New York going nuclear, and that Nathan was the one who ultimately staved off the disaster. He told her about Sylar and the many evils he seemed to visit upon them. He told her about saving the cheerleader, who turned out to be Claire, his niece. He told her about Linderman and Charles Deveaux and his parents' group of friends and how they always seemed to be pulling the strings. They drifted off sometime around the description of Nathan and Heidi's wedding.

Smiling, she brushed a stray strand of black hair back from Peter's forehead. He shifted at her touch and his eyes fluttered open. He returned her smile.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"Hey," she replied. "You fell asleep."

"I noticed," he answered, sitting up with his back against the headboard.

She smiled up at him and then laid her head on his chest. Peter lightly ran his fingers through her hair. The familiarity of their situations should have disturbed her, but it didn't. Elie had been instantly comfortable with Peter. It was probably his crooked smile, which while it held an air of mischievousness, seemed all the more honest for it.

"What time is it?" she asked absently with her eyes closed.

"I don't know," he answered. "I fried your clock last night. It's not noon yet, though."

"That's not very helpful," she told him. "I have to drive back to DC sometime today."

"No, you don't" he said, snaking an arm around her shoulders. "Nathan's given you tomorrow off. You could come back to New York with me for a day."

Elie released a breathy laugh and sat up, moving slightly away from Peter. "Look," she began, "I know we've both kind of jumped into this head first, but I don't think I'm quite ready for that. It's just a little too fast."

"I understand," he answered, only a hint of disappointment in his voice.

Elie leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek just below his eye. "That doesn't mean I won't _ever_ take you up on the offer," she whispered.

He smiled widely and started to reply when a knock at the door resounded through the entire room. Peter glanced in that direction and said, "It's okay, it's Claire."

"Come in," Elie called out.

"Hey, Elie, have you seen—" she paused at the sight of her uncle. "Never mind. Apparently, he's in your bed."

"Um," Elie began, looking at uncle and niece uncertainly, "did you need something, Claire?"

"Well," the younger woman started, "since I don't need to start a manhunt for Peter, I guess I just need to know if you'd like some coffee."

"Sure," Elie answered.

"Great," Claire replied shortly before exiting the room and closing the door more loudly than necessary.

Peter sighed. "I should probably go talk to her," he said, climbing out of the bed.

"I'm going to take a shower," Elie announced in return.

Peter's bare feet made almost no sound against the board floors of his childhood home. He found Claire in the kitchen where she was working at a frenzied pace trying to make coffee. He opened the cabinet just above her head to the right and pulled down exactly what she was looking for.

"Filters?" he offered.

She snatched them out of his hand and muttered a "thank you" before removing one from the plastic and placing it in the coffee maker.

"Claire, I know what you're thinking," he began.

"Peter, I don't need to hear it," she replied as she withdrew the plastic can of coffee grounds from the cabinet. "Your business is your business."

"Nothing happened," he assured her.

"It didn't look like 'nothing,'" she said as she dumped several scoops of grounds into the coffee maker.

"That's too many scoops," he warned her.

She snapped her head around to him and sharply replied, "I _like_ my coffee strong."

He held his hands up in surrender. "Claire, you're overreacting."

She let out a sound that was somewhere between a groan and a sigh. She dropped the scoop back into the can and calmly placed the lid on it. "I know, and I'm sorry," she said. "It's just that that was so unexpected."

"We just talked," he told her. "Look at me, I'm still in my clothes."

She sniggered at him. "You look a little ridiculous. You should probably change before Heidi gets home and has a field day with you."

"Where is everybody, anyway?"

"They went to mass," Claire answered, pouring water into the top of the coffee maker. "I guess after yesterday they decided it would be a good idea to get some absolution for their sins."

He chuckled, but said, "You don't get absolution at mass, Claire."

"Really?"

"Really," he answered before walking out of the kitchen and back up the stairs.

When Peter came back down the stairs from his shower, the smell of burned coffee stung his nostrils. He rounded the corner into the kitchen to find Claire and Elie attempting to fan the smoke out of an open window.

"What the hell happened in here?" Peter asked as he picked up a newspaper and started helping them clear away the smoke.

"We were…talking and…we didn't notice the…coffee maker was smoking until…it burst into flames," Claire explained between hacking coughs.

When the smoke cleared enough for them to breathe easily again, Peter carefully examined the offending appliance. "Looks like it shorted out," he announced, "and you put so much coffee in it, the dry grounds caught on fire."

Claire shrugged and eyed him apologetically. Elie smirked and held in a giggle.

"Hello?" Heidi's voice called from the direction of the front door. "My God, what _is _that smell?"

Heidi and Angela appeared in the kitchen doorway. Angela eyed the now defunct coffee maker and said, "Would you mind explaining that?"

"Um, I think it's broken," Claire answered.

Peter and Elie shared a conspiratorial glance over her head and barely managed to contain their laughter. Angela raised an incredulous eyebrow. Heidi grinned at them.

"Lucky for you, Nathan took the boys into town to pick up some brunch from the bakery," Heidi said. "I'll just text him and tell him to pick up some coffee while he's at it."

She turned away with her phone in her hand and a grin on her face. Angela looked at her son and said, "I'd like to speak with you, Peter."

He rolled his eyes, sighed and followed his mother. Claire and Elie started cleaning up their scorched mess.

"What do you want now?" he asked once they were safely behind the closed doors of Angela's office.

She gave him a sharp look for his tone. "Where did you go last night?"

"Bed," he answered smartly.

She allowed a tight smile for his pun before saying, "I meant before Elie Costantin took you to her bed."

Peter rolled his eyes and laughed silently. He could never hide anything from his mother because she was always the one in control; the one pulling all the strings. He folded his arms across his chest defiantly. "It's none of your business," he told her.

She ignored that and continued, "Did you find out what happened yesterday?"

Peter sighed and said, "It was an angry young man who decided to take his anger out on our family."

"That's the consequence of what you're doing."

"That's the consequence of what _Nathan_ is doing," Peter insisted.

"You need to stop this little rivalry before it destroys everything," Angela warned him.

His face reddened in anger and he moved toward her menacingly. "This is _your_ fault as much at it is anyone else's," he told her in a growling stage whisper. "You've pushed us and prodded us and used us in your little games."

"Everything I have done, I have done for the greater good," Angela told him.

"You don't even know what that means," he answered before leaving the office and slamming the door behind him.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so I think it end a little abruptly but it was going to go on forever if I didn't stop it somewhere. I'm going to say that I'm not Catholic and my information on Catholic practices is basically coming from reading Andre Dubus over the last couple of weeks. If I've gotten it wrong and you actually do receive absolution at mass, please let me know and I'll change that. Hope you enjoyed it and thanks for all the reviews and alerts.


	9. Chapter 9: From Tree Houses to Texas

"Uncle Peter?"

The uncle in question raised a curious eyebrow at the brown-headed little boy coming up through the floorboards of the tree house.

"Monty, what are you doing here?" he asked as his nephew pulled himself the rest of the way in.

"I came to talk to you," Monty answered, sitting next to his uncle with his legs crossed and his pockets on the floor.

"About what?" Peter asked staring at his arms folded on top of his bent knees.

"Well," Monty began, "first, I think you should know that hiding from Grandma, even though she's scary sometimes, is kind of lame."

Peter laughed so hard; he fell backward and covered his face with his hands in a vain attempt to quell his laughter. He mistakenly looked at Monty, who was smiling at his own joke, and broke into a new fit of uncontrollable giggles. He took several deep breaths to get himself back under control and sat up as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

"So, is there a second part to what you wanted to tell me?" Peter finally asked.

Monty's face became suddenly serious for a nine-year-old. He looked at his hands in his lap and said, "I heard you and that Elie girl talking last night."

Peter's gaze toward his nephew became soft and serious. "What exactly did you hear?"

"Everything," Monty answered. "I like the name Natalia."

Peter smiled weakly. Monty continued, "Daddy can fly?"

The uncle met his nephew's eye and nodded.

"And you can fly, and do a bunch of other stuff?"

"Yeah," Peter answered, smiling.

"And Claire can't die, or even get hurt?" Monty asked, the excitement growing in his voice.

Peter hesitated a moment before saying, "She can get hurt, Monty, she can just recover quickly, and she can die, it's just hard to do. And she can usually come back from it."

"That Sylar guy sounds creepy," Monty commented.

"He is creepy," Peter answered seriously. "People like him, people who abuse their powers and don't control them; they're the reason your dad wants to lock everyone away. The problem is there's more people like me and Claire and Elie and you than there are like Sylar. I'm not going to tell your dad is evil, Monty, because I don't really believe it myself. Your dad's just misguided. He's got the wrong idea. We're trying to change that. I just don't know how long it's going to take."

Monty nodded. "What would Dad do if he found out about me?" he finally asked. "Would he send me away?"

"No, Monty he wouldn't," Peter answered quickly. "He hasn't sent me, or Grandma, or Claire away because he knows it would look bad if we disappeared and he wasn't doing anything about it. And, unlike Claire, Nathan can publicly claim you as his own. He wouldn't do anything to you if he found out, but it's probably better if he doesn't know."

"How did you and Claire hijack that plane?" the little boy asked suddenly.

Peter laughed with a hint of nervousness. "That's a story for another time, Monty," he answered, "and don't you dare tell your dad about that."

"Duh," Monty answered.

Peter sniggered at his nephew's reply. Monty stood up and looked out the window of the tree house. "Your girlfriend's leaving," he announced.

"She's not my girlfriend, Monty," Peter muttered, standing up.

The little boy cocked an eyebrow. "Really?" he asked incredulously.

Peter refused to answer and jumped through the hole in the floorboards. Monty briefly looked shocked before he yelled out the window, "That's cheating!"

Peter smiled up at him crookedly before jogging toward Elie's car at a regular human pace.

"Hey," he called out to her.

She turned from loading her bags in her backseat and smiled at him. "I, uh…your family kind of scares me, and I really need to get back to D.C.," she told him.

Peter nervously had his hands in his pockets. "Will you remember what I said?" he asked her, his eyes shifting from her to the ground and back again.

"Of course I'll remember, Peter," she assured him. "How could I forget?"

"If any lists go across Nathan's desk, just deliver them to the FBI," he told her. "Don't call your father. Don't call me. Just do your job and stay safe."

She took on of his hands in her own and said softly, "Peter, if I don't help you, you won't be able to stop your brother. You won't be able to save him."

He drew her closer and stroked her face, pushing a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. "We'll figure something out," he told her quietly, "something that won't change the future."

She smiled as he rested his forehead against hers. "You know they're watching us, don't you?"

He grinned crookedly. "I don't need an ability to figure that out," he said.

"Then how do we say goodbye?" she asked slyly.

Still grinning, he touched his lips to hers. She instantly deepened the kiss. Their lips parted and their tongues gently caressed one another. When they finally broke apart Peter grinned and said, "That's how."

Elie's ears reddened. "I'm gonna, uh, go," she said, embarrassed and walking around to the driver's side of her car. Peter stood back and watched her go, waving. When she was out of sight, he looked down to see Monty standing next to him.

"She looks like your girlfriend to me," the little boy said, reflecting his uncle's crooked grin.

The little boy barely managed to escape his uncle before he gave chase around the yard.

* * *

_Three Days Later…_

"Freeze!"

Peter paused in surprise. He hadn't sensed anyone nearby. Whoever had the gun on him knew how to keep her thoughts quiet.

"Who are you?"

She had a slight accent, something eastern European. "Peter Petrelli," he answered.

The metal of the gun barrel pressed into the back of his neck. "Prove it," she told him, cocking the pistol.

He calmly replied, "Flash."

The metal left his neck and he heard her release the hammer. "Lantern," she spoke as she placed a hand on his shoulder and turned him around.

She was tall, slightly taller than Peter, and slender. Her long face contained hard and determined brown eyes. She wore her thick, dark hair tied securely at the back of her head. She wore tight, dark clothes with a stun gun clipped to her belt and the pistol tucked in the back of her pants.

"Hana Gitelman," she introduced shortly without offering her hand. "I'll take you to the ark."

He followed behind her in the dark, smiling. "You're calling it the ark?" he asked incredulously.

"It seemed appropriate," she answered simply.

They quickly crossed the dark and deserted parking lot and climbed the steps of the loading dock. Primatech Paper in Odessa, Texas shut down in the wake of a detrimental fire at corporate headquarters in New York. Fortunately, the loss of the plant didn't greatly affect the community, and no one noticed the strange goings-on at the place after dark for the past few weeks.

Hana pulled the door open enough for the two of them to slip inside before closing and locking it securely behind them. She turned on a flashlight to guide them through dark hallways and card-locked doors. They rounded a corner in the nearly lightless basement and Noah Bennet already had a handgun trained on them.

"Flash," he called out.

"Lantern," Peter and Hana called back in unison.

Noah holstered his gun and flipped a switch, turning on the lights. "Peter, what the hell are you doing here?"

"It's Wednesday," he answered.

"Sorry," Noah apologized. "You kind of lose track down here." He nodded toward Hana who quickly disappeared while Noah led Peter to an interior office. "I guess you want to talk about Suresh."

"It's not your fault," Peter told him as they sat on opposite sides of a desk from the early seventies. "We need to talk about who Nathan's got in custody already."

"Tracy Strauss he's had since the crash," Noah began. "Last week, he went after Micah Sanders. They wound up taking his cousin, Monica Dawson instead. She's a muscle mimic."

"What does that mean?" Peter asked.

"She can replicate any movement she sees," Noah explained quickly. "Gitelman got Micah out. We got him new I.D. He's living as a foster kid with a family here in Odessa."

"Does the family know about him?"

"Their son does," Noah answered. "His name's Zach. He's trustworthy."

"How could you possibly know that?" Peter asked incredulously.

"He kept Claire's secret, I had his memory wiped, and she trusted him again, and he kept her secret…_again._ He's trustworthy," Noah assured the younger man.

Peter sighed, but nodded as though he was okay with it. "Speaking of minds being wiped, do you have any idea where the Haitian is?"

"Haiti?" Noah suggested jokingly. "I honestly have no idea. The man can really disappear when he wants to."

"Any news on Sylar?"

"He's dead according to your mother."

"You really believe that?"

"No, but it's a nice idea," Noah said. "Nobody's shown up missing a brain lately, so, if he's alive, he's not on a maniacal killing spree. Have no idea what he's up to. Have you had any…feelings about him?"

"Nope," Peter answered quickly.

"What about this Elie Costantin you've got helping us out?" Noah asked. "Had any…feelings about her?"

"She's not going to help us anymore," Peter instantly replied.

"Because you had a feeling?"

"You sound like your daughter."

"Well, I am her father."

"And you need to take some time to see her before she does something stupid," Peter told him.

"I'm living in a basement in an abandoned paper factory. It's hard to get away," Noah told him with an edge of sarcasm.

"Just be glad Nathan thinks you're out of the country, otherwise he'd probably be recruiting you," Peter reminded him.

Noah chuckled slightly. "I know. I'll get up to seeing Claire as soon as I can," he assured Peter.

"Good, I'll keep an eye on her until you do," Peter said, standing.

"You keep an eye on your girl too, Peter."

"Excuse me?"

Noah leaned forward, folded his arms on the top of the desk and looked up at Peter. "You don't _really_ think that Colonel Costantin's daughter is going to stop spying for us just because you told her to?"

"I sure as hell hope so," Peter responded gruffly.

"And you're so hell-bent on protecting her because you had a dream about her?" Noah asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"How do you even know that?" the younger man asked irritably. "You're living in the basement of an abandoned paper factory in Texas."

Noah repressed a grin and answered, "You talked to Parkman, he talked to Daphne, and with Daphne—"

"Word travels really fast," Peter finished, cutting him off. "Look, I'm just doing what I think is the right thing to do. Can you trust me on this?"

"Peter, once upon a time you saved my little girl's life," Noah reminded him. "For that alone, I'd trust you with the moon."

The younger Petrelli gave the man in the horn-rimmed glasses a crooked grin before making his way back up to the surface.

* * *

Around noon on Thursday, Elie picked up a signed list of names from her boss' desk. He smiled at her and said, "So, Elie, what's going on with you and Peter?"

Elie blushed and replied, "Sir, if you don't mind me saying, I believe that falls under the category of none of your damned business."

The senator laughed in response. "Fair enough," he said. "There's a new man taking those orders at the FBI. His name's Danko. Make sure he gets it."

"Right away, Sir," Elie answered seriously before exiting the office.

She waited until she was in the relative security of her car before she looked at the list. Only one name stood out: Josiah Gregory. He was sophomore and a cadet lieutenant at the Virginia Military Institute. She also happened to know that he was one of her father's best students. She bit her lip trying to make her decision. She promised Peter she wouldn't call him, or her father. That left only one person that could possibly help Cadet Gregory.

She dialed the numbers as she drove toward the FBI. "Elie?" the voice on the other end said in surprise.

"Cadet Captain Jason Barnes," she greeted him, "I need a favor."

* * *

A/N: I updated my story over in the Batman Begins/Dark Knight fandom, so I thought I'd give you guys an update too. Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for all the reviews and alerts!


	10. Chapter 10: Consequences

Peter groaned at the sound of his phone ringing. A glance at his clock informed him it was three in the morning. He turned the lamp on with Bobby's ability and groped around for the phone.

"Hello?" he answered without looking at the caller I.D.

"Flash."

"Lantern," Peter replied automatically. "Noah, what the hell are you doing calling me?"

"The FBI raided the VMI campus today."

Peter sat bolt upright in bed. "Did they get—"

"No," Noah quickly answered. "They weren't even after him. They were after a cadet named Josiah Gregory, but they didn't get him either. He's asleep in the next room."

Peter rubbed his forehead. "How-how did he get away?"

"A senior named Jason Barnes kept him hidden and then took him to the colonel," Noah explained. "You know how the rest of the process works."

Peter shook his head even though Noah couldn't possibly see him. "Who is this Jason Barnes guy and how did he know the FBI was coming? Is he one of us?"

"That depends on your perspective," Noah told him with a hint of sarcasm. "He doesn't have an ability if that's what you mean. Maybe you should ask Ms. Costantin how Barnes fits into all of this."

"I told you Elie's not helping us anymore."

"Peter," Noah said in a gentle, fatherly tone, "no one else could have gotten the information to Barnes in such a timely fashion. You need to talk to her before she gets herself found out and brings down the entire operation."

Peter took in several sharp breaths through his nose. He could feel his blood boiling beneath his skin. "I'm going now," he told Noah before disconnecting and throwing off the covers."

* * *

Elie threw up for the third time since the nightmare woke her up. She shivered on her cold bathroom floor. Tears fell freely from her eyes. She jumped at the sound of her door opening and closing. She tried in vain to stand and reach for the small window in her shower. She yelped at the sight of the dark-haired figure in the doorway before she realized who it was.

Peter only looked angry for a moment before he knelt down next to her and asked her if she was all right. Concern replaced his anger as he gently stroked her hair.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and mumbled, "I'm so sorry, Peter. I shouldn't have done it. I'm sorry."

Peter's strong arms lifted her from the cold floor and carried her back to her small bedroom. He disappeared after he deposited her on the bed and reappeared moments later with a glass of water.

"Here, swish this around in your mouth and spit it out," he ordered her quietly.

She did as she was told and Peter once again left with the glass. Elie sat uneasily on her bed and stared at her covered toes. When Peter came back, he just sat on the bed next to her and waited for her to speak.

"I'm sorry," she whispered finally.

"You already said that," he replied flatly without looking at her.

"I-I knew it was a mistake when I got to the FBI, but I couldn't stop Jason by then," she explained.

"How could you have trusted an outsider?" he asked, anger seeping into his voice.

"He's my ex-boyfriend," Elie told him quietly.

Peter's jaw shifted almost angrily. "Why did you break up with him?"

"Why does that matter?"

Peter finally made eye contact glaring. Elie quickly looked away.

"He's younger than me and it just didn't work out," she answered swiftly. "But he's one of the best men I've ever known. I knew he'd do the right thing."

"You're _very _lucky that he did," Peter told her sternly. "What were you thinking? I practically _begged_ you to stop."

"I should have listened to you," Elie strained out as a tear slid down her face. "There's a new man in charge of the senator's operation. He-he's quietly terrifying. I mean, he's just so…cold and calculating. My dad knew men like that. He's exactly what your brother needs to get the job done. I knew the moment I saw him I'd made a mistake. I'm sorry, Peter."

He nodded solemnly. "What's his name?"

"Danko," she answered quickly. "That's all I know. I'm not even sure if he works for the FBI. He's your height and build. Around your mother's age, I guess. He's bald. His eyes are empty."

"You could have compromised everything," Peter told her in a low tone.

"I know. I already told you I was sorry."

"You broke a promise, Elie," he reminded her sternly. "I can't trust you."

"Peter, I—"

"Don't," he told her, standing from the bed. "Don't say anything. Just do your job and keep your head down. Don't even look at the damn lists."

"Peter, wait!" she called as she scrambled after him.

He paused at her window, but didn't turn to face her. She hesitantly placed a hand on his arm.

"Don't go, Peter," she begged, her voice quavering. "I-I don't want to be alone."

He brushed off her hand and said, "You should have thought of that before you broke your word."

"Peter!" she called after him as he disappeared out of her window. Her back slid down the wall and her knees curled under her chin while the tears flowed freely from her eyes.

* * *

"Flash!"

"Lantern!" Peter shouted back at Hana Gitelman as he stormed through the loading dock of the Primatech Paper factory.

"It's not Wednesday," she told him as she followed close behind.

He ignored her and followed the path she'd lead him on a couple of nights previous. Noah jumped from the chair he was sleeping in. Peter ignored him and walked into the room next to Noah's office where a lanky nineteen-year-old was sleeping on an old camp cot.

"Peter, what the hell are you doing?"

The former cadet looked up in trepidation at the sound of Noah's voice.

"On your feet," Peter ordered him.

The young man's military training kicked in and he immediately stood at attention in front of his cot. He was still wearing his uniform, though it was considerably wrinkled.

"What can you do?" Peter asked him.

Cadet Gregory waited for Noah to nod his okay before answering, "I can control metals, sir."

"How did they get your name?"

"I don't—"

"How'd they get your goddamned name?"

"Peter!" Noah warned him loudly.

The younger Petrelli didn't even spare the older man a glance. He kept his gaze focused firmly on the teenager in front of him. The cadet stared at his bare feet against the concrete floor.

"Tell him, Josiah," Hana said quietly.

He looked up at her briefly before finally making eye contact with Peter. "There was an accident during a live fire drill," he began. "I stopped a bullet from hitting a friend in another platoon. I guess someone saw me or something."

"You got any enemies at school?" Peter asked him.

"Not that I know of, sir," Josiah answered quickly.

"How well do you know Jason Barnes?"

"I hadn't met Cadet Captain Barnes personally until today, sir."

"Are you done interrogating the boy yet?" Noah asked Peter irritably.

Peter rolled his eyes and said, "Get some sleep."

Noah watched as Peter stalked off to the office. He looked at Hana and said, "I'm already awake. I'll take this watch. You get some sleep. You too, kid."

The haggard-looking cadet snuggled back into his cot. Hana nodded curtly before disappearing around a corner. Noah followed Peter into the office and shut the door.

"What the hell is wrong with you? If that kid gets captured at any point during relocation, he can identify you. Your relationship to Nathan can't protect you then," Noah warned him before taking his handgun out of the back of his pants and placing it on the desk.

"He's identifying us through eye-witness reports," Peter said quietly, staring at a blank wall. "We need a system for getting to them before Nathan does."

"We _had_ one, and you in your infinite Petrelli wisdom eighty-sixed it," Noah reminded him.

Peter glared at the man in the horn-rimmed glasses. "What about Mohinder?"

"What about him?"

"Don't you remember when we all first met?" Peter continued. "Mohinder said his father created a formula that could identify people with abilities."

"He destroyed it to protect people from Sylar."

"Do you think he could rebuild it?"

"Peter, it took his father years to build that formula," Noah explained. "And Chandra had data from the Human Genome Project."

"We have the Primatech files," Peter argued.

Noah rubbed his forehead in frustration. "If, by some slim chance, Mohinder _could_ rebuild his father's formula," he began, "and he got himself caught, which given his recent behavior is more than possible, Nathan would have an upper hand, and there's no way we'll ever stop him."

"We have to do something," Peter muttered.

"No, _you_ have to do something," Noah corrected. "Peter, you can't save everyone. _We_ can't save everyone. Maybe you should just come to terms with that."

Peter turned to face the older man. "Nathan's got someone new helping him," he said quietly. "Does the name Danko mean anything to you?"

Noah simply shook his head.

"Elie said he was cold and calculating," Peter explained. "He also scared her shitless. She was throwing up when I got to her apartment."

"Sounds like your mother."

Peter doubled over laughing. Noah smirked more at Peter's reaction than his own smart-aleck remark. When Peter got a hold of himself, he sat down across the desk from Noah.

"That's the problem," he said when he'd finally silenced his laughter. "Nathan's got someone like Mom hunting us down, and we…well, we don't have Mom on our side."

"Angela Petrelli is on her own side," Noah informed him. "Always has been. Always will be."

Peter nodded solemnly.

Noah let the silence build until he said, "If you want my professional opinion, we have to abandon any rescue operations, and stick to monitoring Nathan and building a viable resistance. You'll still need Ms. Costantin for that."

"She can't be trusted," Peter said quickly.

"You're overreacting."

"Am I?"

"You're just pissed because she broke a promise to you specifically."

"That's not—"

"Yes, it is."

Peter groaned and sank into his chair.

"Go home and get some sleep," Noah ordered him in a fatherly fashion. "I'll contact you and the colonel next week with an update."

Peter nodded glumly and headed for the surface.

* * *

"Elie?"

She looked up at one of the young interns who worked in the senator's front office. The young woman looked mildly worried.

"What do you want?" Elie asked her gruffly.

The tall, gray, uniformed form of David Costantin appeared behind the intern. "I need to speak with you, Elie."

She eyed the intern and said, "If the senator asks, I took my lunch early."

The intern nodded and disappeared. Elie grabbed her purse and jacket and led her father out of the office without making eye contact. The colonel didn't say a word as they headed toward the diner on the corner. They both silently took a booth and quietly ordered coffee.

"He asked you to stop," David said finally.

Elie didn't respond.

"He's the one responsible for all of this, Elie," he told her. "He's the one in charge."

Elie's eyes locked with her father's. "I am not a soldier. He is not my commanding officer. And he did not give me an order," she told him flatly.

"I raised you better than that, baby," he said, sipping his coffee.

"I spent most of my life in Buffalo with semi-functioning alcoholic," she hissed. "You weren't there."

David lifted her chin with his index finger and said, "You know I was, baby."

A tear rolled down her face. "It would have been easier to blame you if you weren't," she told him. "You didn't raise me to be a soldier, Daddy. You raised me to do the right thing. I did what I thought was right."

"You screwed up," David told her flatly.

"I. Know."

David thoughtfully stirred his coffee and sipped it. "You know what's really funny?" he asked rhetorically. "I think the kid kind of liked you."

She could see the laughter in her father's eyes. "You have no idea," she muttered.

"In case you haven't gotten the message, don't do what you did yesterday ever again," he told her.

"I heard it the first time, Dad."

"Good," he said, smiling. "Let's have lunch."

Elie rolled her eyes and looked at her menu.

She enjoyed her lunch with her father and went back to work. She avoided the senator and went home as early as she could. She unlocked the door to her apartment and dropped her purse on the floor and stripped off her jacket without turning on the light. She ambled into her kitchen and filled a glass with water. She nearly choked on it when the kitchen light turned on. She turned to see Peter leaning shyly against the doorframe.

He attempted a weak half smile. "We should probably talk."


	11. Chapter 11: Half Naked Apologies

**A/N: This chapter is kind of short so sorry about that, but it ended where it ended. WARNING: There is some strong language ahead.**

**

* * *

**

"What do you want?" she asked, stomping past him into her living room.

Peter turned and faced her. "I've been told I'm overreacting," he stated simply.

She shifted uneasily and looked down at her shoes. "You weren't overreacting," she said quietly. "I could have endangered everything. I might have already."

"Hey," Peter said, comfortingly stroking her shoulders. "Don't say that. We don't know that."

She looked up at him incredulously. "You sure as hell changed your tune in the last twenty-four hours."

He smiled sheepishly. "I got a lecture from the voice of experience," he explained.

Elie brushed off his arms and walked toward her bedroom. She heard his footsteps behind her and she smiled to herself. She peeled her shirt off. His footsteps ceased.

She turned and smiled at him devilishly. "If you don't mind, I'm gonna get ready for bed."

"Are you intentionally trying to make me uncomfortable?" he asked her with a glare.

"Yes," she answered, tossing her shirt aside.

"I came here to apologize."

"I don't need your fucking apology."

"Maybe you just need a good fuck."

"Well, I don't need it from you, so get the hell out."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not leaving," he told her.

They glared at one another. Elie blinked first. "What could you possibly have to say to me now?"

"I still need your help," he answered.

She laughed mirthlessly. "I thought you couldn't trust me."

Peter looked at his shoes. "I can trust you to do what _you_ think is right. And your moral compass is a lot truer than most. We still need your help."

She shook her head and unzipped her skirt. She tossed it on top of her discarded shirt as she walked her to dresser.

"We can't keep rescuing people. It's too dangerous for all of us," Peter told her while staring at the dingy wall. "We need you to keep tabs on Nathan's operation. Just don't _do_ anything."

A hand reached up to his chin and turned his head. He only glanced at Elie a moment before saying, "You're still only wearing your underwear."

"I'm still trying to make you feel uncomfortable so you'll leave," she told him tersely.

Peter smiled smugly and faced her. "You're forgetting one thing," he said; "I've already seen you naked."

She glared at his back as he headed toward her front door. "You're just gonna leave now?" she asked incredulously.

He turned with his hand on the knob. "You're going to do what I asked because you know it's the right thing to do. I guess I'm finished here."

"You flew out the window."

"Excuse me?" he asked with the door half open.

"I was puking my guts up I was so scared and you flew out the frickin' window," she said as tears flowed freely down her face. "You talk about how you'll love me, about how we'll have this beautiful little girl. But you just left me when I was frightened. What kind of love is that?"

Peter slammed the door and marched until he was only centimeters from her. "Your mom was an alcoholic. She was probably neglectful when she wasn't passed out, and your dad wasn't around for long stretches of time."

"That's true. What of it?"

"My parents weren't neglectful. They were very attentive," Peter continued. "They also lied. A lot. They used us as pawns in their little games. It just really bothers me when I trust people who break their word to me."

"Peter, I—"

"You messed up and you apologized and I didn't want to listen," he cut her off. "I'm sorry for that, but I think…I think this may have all been a mistake."

"Peter, what are you saying?" she asked, following him to the door.

He turned to her and said, "Goodbye, Elie."

She stared open-mouthed at her suddenly closed door.

* * *

Peter rubbed his eyes as he sat in the passenger side of the ambulance.

"You okay, man?" his partner asked him.

"Had a rough night last night," Peter answered quietly.

"Take off sick, dude. There's a rookie needs training and I'll cover you," he told him.

"Thanks," Peter said before stepping out of the vehicle.

He splurged on a cab back to his apartment and trudged wearily up the stairs. He'd stripped off his jacket and shirt before he noticed auburn hair in his living room.

"Elie?" he asked with more calm than he felt. "How the hell did you get in here?"

"Claire apparently has a key," Elie explained as she stood up, "and she agreed to help. Your mother has called like seven times."

"That figures," he muttered. "What do you need to say, Elie?"

She stepped up to him and smacked him hard across the face. He blinked hard and stroked his reddened cheek.

"What the hell was that for?"

"You made me into a believer and then you walked out on me twice," she told him. "What is wrong with you?"

"I make impulsive emotional decisions," he answered.

"Then unmake an impulsive emotional decision," she told him.

"Haven't we upset each other enough in the last forty-eight hours?" he asked. "Do we really need to try for more?"

"I'm not giving up on you, Peter," she said, brushing a lock of black hair from his forehead. "I'm not giving up on us."

Peter's eyes followed her to his door. "Where are you going?" he asked her.

"Well, you're half naked. One of us leaves when the other is half naked," she explained. "So I'm leaving."

He stared at his closed door for a moment before grabbing a t-shirt and his jacket. Using Daphne's speed, he was in front of her before she was halfway down the stairs. She jumped and yelped and glared at him.

"That's kind of freaky," she told him.

"Ever had a real New York City pizza?" he asked her.

She smiled. "Had New York style pizza in Buffalo," she answered.

"Not the same thing," he assured her. "C'mon."

Their fingers interlocked as he lead her the rest of the way down the stairs.

* * *

"It's Saturday," Nathan said as he led the smaller man into his study. "What's so important you had to come to my house on Saturday. My kids are here for God's sake."

"I won't take up much of your time," Danko assured him as he sat down on the leather couch, a manila folder in his hand. "I just wanted to ask you about the plane crash at the beginning of the operation."

"What about it?" Nathan asked, sitting down across from the other man. "It's still unsolved. Those who didn't die were unconscious and don't remember anything."

"One of them remembers a blonde teenage girl and a young man fitting the description of your younger brother before he was conked on the head," Danko said flatly.

"Like you said, he was conked on the head," Nathan replied. "That doesn't exactly make him an expert witness."

Danko's smile didn't reach his eyes. "You and your brother have a history of not getting along."

"Brothers fight. You want proof, spend an hour with my boys."

"Does he know what you're doing?"

"He probably has an inkling."

"Does he agree with you?"

"No," Nathan answered emphatically.

"Do you think he could be working against you?"

"I have absolutely no idea."

"Do you know Elie Costantin is dating your brother?"

"My wife, my ex-wife set them up at a party last week. I wouldn't exactly call that dating," Nathan replied.

Danko produced a photo from the file he was holding. Nathan only glanced at it a moment before his eyes widened in surprise.

"That's Pete's favorite pizza place," Nathan said. "It's one of Manhattan's best kept secrets."

"That's your secretary holding his hand and smiling at him adoringly," Danko told him.

Nathan groaned and looked at the ceiling. "Where are you going with this?"

"The only one to get away in the last raid was a student at Virginia Military Institute."

"And?"

"Ms. Costantin's father is an instructor there."

"And you think there's some sort of connection?" Nathan asked incredulously. "No way. Elie's dad is career military. She is a civil servant. If there's one thing that girl believes it's that you don't betray your country."

"Maybe she thinks she's just betraying you."

"I'm a representative of her country. In her mind it's all the same thing."

"You know this how?"

"It's all in an interview Dickerson conducted with her," Nathan answered. "He taped it. He was one paranoid son of a bitch. Funny how he died of natural causes. Now, if you're done accusing my brother and his apparent girlfriend of high treason, I'd like to spend some time with my boys."

Danko rolled his eyes and stood up. "You better make sure you don't have a problem in your office, Senator," he warned.

"You do the same," Nathan replied, smiling fakely and motioning toward the door.

Danko stalked toward the front door of the house completely ignoring Monty's polite wave as he passed him. Monty looked back toward his father when Danko was gone and said, "He's kind of creepy."

"Yep," Nathan agreed, nodding.

"Then why do you work with him?" Monty asked.

"Because he's good at what he does," Nathan answered simply.

"What does he do?" Monty asked.

Nathan squatted down to be eye level with his son. "I can't tell you everything, Monty."

The boy considered this for a moment before saying, "Okay, Dad. Whatever. You wanna come play MarioKart with me and Simon?"

Nathan smiled and nodded. "You know I'll win, right?"

"In your dreams, Dad."

* * *

Monty walked so softly down the hall, even he could barely hear his footsteps. He picked up the hall phone and dialed the numbers. He was beginning to worry when it rang for the fourth time.

"Hello?" a voice said groggily on the end of the line.

"Claire?"

"Yeah," she answered. "Is this—"

"Monty. Yeah, it is. Look, I overheard something today. I think you and Uncle Peter and that Elie girl might be in trouble."


	12. Chapter 12: Familiar Faces Finding Truth

A/N: Hooray! New Chapter. I'm introducing some new, to this fic anyway, characters in this chapter. They'll feed into the overarching story and into a subplot involving Claire. Enjoy!

* * *

Peter's eyes fluttered open at the sound of a slight moan and weight shifting on top of him. Elie was dreaming and burying her face in the crook of his neck. They'd fallen asleep on his excuse for a couch. Elie was talking when they both started to drift off. She told him about her parents' divorce and life with an alcoholic precog. Her sentences were sort of incoherent by the time Peter started to drift off.

The early morning sunlight brought out the red in Elie's hair. Peter idly wished their daughter could have her hair as well as her eyes. He placed a soft kiss on her brow and followed it with several more along the line of her jaw. Without opening her eyes, her lips caught his. Soft at first, the kiss quickly became more frenzied and deep. Peter's hands tangled in Elie's hair as hers tugged at the hem of his shirt.

He broke the kiss and said, "Are you sure about this?"

She smiled slyly. "Yeah."

He returned her smile and allowed her to pull off his t-shirt before meeting her lips again. He'd only just begun to work the buttons of her shirt when Claire's panicked thoughts reached the back of his mind followed quickly by a frantic knock at the door.

"What the hell?" Elie asked in irritation.

"It's Claire. Something's wrong," he answered as he disentangled his limbs from hers and picked his shirt up off the ground. He pulled it over his head as he opened his door.

Claire was in a t-shirt and jeans. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail and she wasn't wearing any make-up. "Peter, are you okay? You look a little red in the face."

Peter reddened further and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. Claire spied Elie in the living room buttoning up her shirt and attempting to tame her mussed hair.

"Wow. I interrupted something, didn't I?" Claire said in sudden embarrassment.

"Claire, it's fine," Peter told her. "You have a good reason. What's wrong?"

"Can I come in?"

"Of course," he said as he ushered her inside and closed the door behind her.

"It's probably a good thing you're both here," Claire said as Peter moved to stand beside Elie. "This actually concerns all three of us. Monty called me last night."

"Monty? The senator's older son?" Elie asked.

"He's one of us," Peter explained quickly. "His hearing is ten times more powerful than normal."

"Well, he overheard something last night," Claire told them. "Someone called Danko was at Nathan's house last night."

Elie shuddered visibly and Peter wrapped his hand around hers.

Claire continued, "He said one of the plane crash survivors saw us and remembered us. Apparently, he described us to this Danko guy."

"It's his word against ours, Claire," Peter told her.

"That's not all," she continued. "He suspects Elie of some kind of treachery. Apparently some guy escaped the FBI at the school where your dad teaches and this Danko guy put the pieces together."

"Oh my God," Elie muttered as she sat back down on the couch and buried her face in her hands.

Peter sat down next to her and pulled her to him. He kissed her temple and whispered, "It'll be okay," into her ear. He looked back up at Claire and asked, "What did Nathan say?"

"Apparently, he just brushed the guy off," she answered. "He said something about how Elie's dad was career military and how she'd never betray her country. But there's something else: Danko had a picture of you guys coming out of Dutchy's."

Peter's eyes widened. "He's got people watching us?"

Claire smiled slightly. "He didn't need to," she answered. "It was on a gossip blog. It still is actually."

"Excuse me?" Peter and Elie said together.

"One of Bobby's roommates found it yesterday afternoon," Claire told them. "He wanted to know where Dutchy's was."

"Why would gossip bloggers be following us?" Peter asked, staring into space as though he was looking for the answer in the rug.

"You're a Petrelli."

Peter looked between the two women who answered him. They were eyeing each other with slight grins at his bemused expression.

"I've never had problems with paparazzi before," Peter argued. "Not even when Nathan was running for congress."

"Well, your brother wasn't on TV all the time beating the anti-terrorist war drum when he was running for congress," Elie explained. "Now, his life and therefore his family fall under public jurisdiction as far as the media is concerned. You, and your mom, and Heidi and the boys are probably going to have to deal with a lot more media than you're used to as long as the senator keeps making TV appearances."

"Wow, you're well informed," Claire said.

"Four years of working on Capitol Hill," Elie explained shortly.

The younger woman grinned. "Well, you guys need to be more careful," she told them seriously. "Monty was freaked out, and whoever this Danko guy is, we don't need to make his job easier for him."

Peter looked up at her. "Thanks for letting us know, Claire."

"Well, I guess I'll let you get back to…whatever it was you were doing," she said as she turned to leave. Peter and Elie looked at the floor in embarrassment.

"I'll lock the door," she said before she closed the door behind her.

They looked at one another nervously. "So," Elie began finally, "where were we, exactly?"

Peter smiled slyly as he slid one arm beneath her legs and the other behind her back. As he lifted her off the couch and carried her back to the bedroom, he said, "I think we were right here."

* * *

Claire grinned as she stuck her key in the door and locked it. Peter wasn't the kind of guy to sleep with a woman he barely knew. That was Nathan's MO. She was glad they'd made it through at least one major argument before they moved into anything more serious. Arguments meant that people were telling the truth, and truth was important to a relationship. She had the parents to prove it.

She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't see the guy and his sack of groceries until she ran into him.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," she said as she knelt down to pick up the mess she'd made.

"It's ok," he told her as he knelt down as well. "At least I didn't buy any eggs."

She giggled and looked up. It should have been like in the movies when two strangers lock eyes and there's an instant connection. The connection was there certainly. But Claire knew those green eyes. That shy and crooked smile was almost as familiar as her own. She'd missed that smile.

"Zach?" she asked, stunned.

"Excuse me?' he said as he placed the last can in the sack.

"Zach, it's me. Claire," she told him as they stood up.

He brushed his hair out of his eyes and smiled nervously. "I'm sorry. I've never met you before."

Claire nodded and smiles sadly. The Haitian had likely erased his memory. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "You look like someone I used to know."

"It's cool. See you around!" she heard him call after her as she dashed down the stairs.

* * *

"Hey, you look like you saw a ghost."

"I did," he answered as he sat the bag of groceries down in the meager kitchen. "Her name is Claire."

"Did she recognize you?"

"Yep, but she thinks I don't remember," he explained as he pulled a beer from the refrigerator. "What was she doing here anyway?"

The boy looked up at him sheepishly. "Peter Petrelli lives down the hall."

The young man groaned and plopped down into the second-hand chair. "Micah, this was a horrible idea. Mr. Bennet is going to find us, and then you know what he's going to do? He's going to kill _me_."

"You're overreacting," Micah answered without looking up from his laptop screen.

"Are you sure Mr. Bennet doesn't know where we are?" Zach asked, popping the cap on the bottle.

"Positive," Micah answered. "Hana's covering for us."

"We can live in hope," Zach said, taking a sip from the bottle. He gagged on the liquid and spit it up. "Oh my God, that's awful."

Micah laughed. "It's beer. What did you expect?"

"I wasn't one of the cool kids who drank beer in high school," Zach answered, setting the bottle aside. "So, could you explain to me how you talked me into this again?"

"You wanted to visit NYU and from New York I can access a lot of normally secure computer systems. So we took a lot of money from a lot of ATMs and trucked up here," Micah explained while focusing on his laptop.

"And why are we living in this crummy apartment instead of a five-star hotel?"

"A hotel's staff would notice a seventeen-year-old and a twelve-year-old in a room alone," Micah said. "The super in this building doesn't really notice anything."

"And we're down the hall from Peter Petrelli because…?"

"That wasn't on purpose," Micah answered quickly.

"Well, I'm gonna take a tour of the campus tomorrow," Zach told him. "You'll be okay by yourself tomorrow?"

Micah laughed derisively. "Please. My own parents left me alone more than you do."

Zach detected the hint of sadness in the boy's voice and moved to the coffee table to be next to him. "What are you working on, little man?"

"I'm almost as tall as you," Micah said incredulously.

"No need to brag," Zach teased back. "What are you working on?"

"I'm linked into the FBI's main database," Micah explained.

"How'd you manage that?"

"There's a surveillance team across the street. I linked this computer to theirs and then got full access to the database."

"You're pretty amazing, kid."

Micah smiled. "Thanks. There's something weird, though. There's no record of any raids to pick any of us up. Not even the first one when the plane crashed."

"You sure the FBI is agency in charge?"

"That's what I heard through the fugitive grapevine."

"So…what do you think? The files were erased?"

Micah shook his head, swinging his curls from side to side. "No, I think whoever is running this thing is operating outside of the FBI," he answered.

Zach sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "That's not very comforting."

Micah looked uncertainly at the door. "Peter's just across the hall and he's sort of in charge," he said. "Should we tell him?"

Zach's forehead furrowed in discomfort. "Um, well," he began uncertainly, "from what I heard from what is apparently Peter's apartment, I'm pretty sure he's…getting lucky. Please tell me your parents had that conversation with you?"

Micah laughed uncomfortably. "Yeah, Zach, they had that conversation with me."

"Good, I really didn't want that responsibility," Zach admitted as he stood up. "Now why don't you give it a rest for lunch because _I_ make the meanest submarine sandwich this side of the Red River."

Micah closed his laptop and said, "I like mustard _and_ mayo."

* * *

Elie ran her hands through Peter's sweat-soaked black hair as he trailed kisses along her jaw and down her neck to her clavicle.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked her huskily. "Name any place, and I'll take you there."

She smiled at the overly-romantic nature of the question. She moved to sit up on her elbow and looked at him. "You have to answer a question first," she told him.

"What is it?" he asked, resting his head on his hand.

"Where were you when you decided to become a nurse and change the world?" she asked him, smiling.

His forehead furrowed in surprise. "Why would you want to know that?" he asked.

She shifted closer to him and brushed a strand of black hair from his forehead. "I've spent hours talking to you and listening to you," she began. "I've had sex with you. But the moment you decided to not live your life like a good Petrelli, that's what made you, Peter. I want to know you. I want to know what made you who you are."

He smiled and kissed her softly. "Well, first you'll have to get dressed."

"Obviously," she answered sarcastically whilst rolling her eyes.

"And you'll have to call in sick to work tomorrow," he continued.

"I can do that," she promised.

He smiled slyly. "Then get dressed."


	13. Chapter 13: A Family of Heroes

"Hey, Bobby, why weren't you in econ. this morning?" Claire asked when she saw the lanky, bespectacled young man in line for lunch.

"I'm leading a campus tour today," he answered. "It earns me a couple of bucks and I get out of class."

"Sounds boring," Claire commented as she poured wasabi sauce over her sushi.

"Actually, there's someone in my group that you might want to meet," Bobby informed her. "He's from Odessa, Texas. He went to Union Wells High School. Isn't that where you went?"

"Yeah," she answered, astonished.

"He's a pretty interesting guy," Bobby continued as he led Claire to his table. "He's been making movies with his computer since before YouTube."

"Really?" Claire asked. This guy was starting to sound familiar.

"Yeah, his name's Zach," Bobby said as they arrived at the table. "Hey, Zach, this is my friend, Claire. She's from the same part of the world you are."

The young man looked up through strands of brown hair and stared at Claire. The french-fry that was half in his mouth dropped down to the plate. Claire saw shock in those green eyes.

She plastered on a smile and shook Zach's hand harder than necessary. He winced a little at the contact. Bobby eyed them both suspiciously before sitting down. Claire sat down next to him and directly across from Zach.

"So, Zach, is it?" Claire asked, her voice dripping with insincerity. "Bobby here tells me you went to Union Wells High School. It's not a very big place. How come we never met?"

"Um…we probably ran in different circles," he answered before stuffing another french-fry in his mouth.

"Maybe," Claire admitted, "but people I didn't hang around with in high school I still knew in middle school and stuff. I'm sure I'd remember you if you always went to Odessa schools."

"Maybe you've just got a bad memory," he bit back.

"Okay, do you guys really know each other?" Bobby asked.

Claire ignored him and said, "_I'm_ not the one with the bad memory."

Zach groaned and rubbed his face with his hands. He leaned forward and quietly said, "Claire, please stop this."

"Why did you let me think you didn't remember me?" she hissed back.

"Alright, obviously you do know each other," Bobby stated.

"I'm protecting someone," Zach answered, "someone like you. I'm doing it because your father asked me to. He trusts me because you trusted me. I thought if you recognized and thought I remembered you that it would just make things more complicated. And I swear I did not know you were going to school here. If I did, I wouldn't have come."

Claire opened her mouth to respond when her cell phone went off at the same time as Zach's. She had a text message that said, "They're coming for Alan Cothran at NYU. Get out now. Save him if you can—Rebel."

She looked up at Zach and instantly knew he'd gotten the same message. They turned their attention to Bobby and said in unison, "Do you know Alan Cothran?"

"Uh, yeah, he's right over there with the rest of the hockey team," Bobby answered. "I've known him since grade school. What's wrong?"

"What can he do?" Zach asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Bobby," Claire began as she comfortingly laid a hand on his shoulder, "what can he do?"

Bobby looked quickly from Claire to Zach and then back to Claire. "His skin is impervious to damage," he answered. "That's why he's such a fearless enforcer."

"You know him?" Zach asked. Bobby nodded. "Then tell him he has to get out of here."

"Too late," Claire said.

They all turned their attention to the two suited men who'd walked into the cafeteria.

"This is bad," Zach muttered.

"Bobby, can you turn off all the lights?" she asked him.

"There are still windows, Claire," he reminded her.

"Can you overload everything?" Zach asked.

"I-I've never tried," Bobby admitted.

"There's no time like the present," Claire told him.

Bobby took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Claire and Zach watched in trepidation as the men neared Alan's table. Suddenly all of the florescent lights in the room exploded and the warmer lights burst. Ovens burst spewing food all over the place. Chaos broke loose.

"Alan, run!" Bobby shouted over the din.

They barely saw the athlete running in the opposite direction from the bleeding agents. Zach grabbed Claire's hand, and she in turn, grabbed Bobby's.

When they were in the relative safety of the busy New York street, Bobby yelled, "Okay, what in God's name just happened?"

"The government is hunting down people with abilities," Zach explained quickly. "Those guys were coming for your friend, Alan."

"How did you guys know?"

"Text message," Claire and Zach answered, holding up their phones.

"Claire, there's glass stuck in your hand," Bobby told her urgently. "Maybe you should go to the hospital."

"That would be a very bad idea," Zach said as he took Claire's hand in his own. He pulled out the piece of glass and showed the healing wound to Bobby.

"Whoa," Bobby replied. He looked at Zach and said, "What can you do?"

"I can run the camera," Zach answered, smiling.

Claire eyed him and giggled at their secret joke. She wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "I'm glad you're here."

"So am I," he said, returning her hug.

Bobby looked around uncomfortably. Zach noticed and let go of his old friend.

"We should get out of here before the Feds catch up with us," Zach said.

"There's a subway station over here," Bobby told them as he guided them down the steps to the train.

* * *

"The next time I let you fly me anywhere, we are _not_ going to go over an ocean."

Peter grinned and tightened his grip on her hand. "Well, we'll have to go back," he told her.

"What's wrong with a plane?"

"I don't know about you, but I didn't bring my passport," he answered with a devious smile.

She glared at him playfully. "I hate you."

"No you don't," he told her as he kissed her forehead and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

She smiled and asked, "Where are we exactly?"

"Cassino," he answered, guiding her down the sidewalk.

"As in Monte Cassino?" she asked.

He nodded and paused. He walked behind Elie and turned her toward a gap in the buildings. She locked her eyes on a large building atop a hill overlooking the town. It shimmered pinkly in the setting sun.

"Monte Cassino is the abbey. Cassino is the town," he explained as they continued down the path.

"I see someone was paying attention in history class," she said.

"Not really," he admitted. "My family spent six weeks in Europe when I was twelve. I remember the trip really well. I remember this place especially. We're here."

"Where's here?" she asked as he led her up the steps of a narrow building.

"It's a museum the sisters run for donations," he explained quickly before opening the door.

They stepped into a warmly lit room. The hall was long and narrow and lined with photos, paintings, and displays relating to Cassino's involvement in World War II. Peter pulled a twenty from his pocket and sheepishly put the American money in the collection tray. The nun standing nearby said, "Gratzi."

Peter nodded and smiled in reply.

"You don't speak Italian?" Elie asked quietly.

"Only enough to get myself in trouble," he admitted. "I made the mistake of telling a vendor in Rome my last name and he started speaking to me in rapid-fire Italian. It's a good thing Nathan showed up, or the guy would have ripped me off."

"Your brother speaks Italian?"

"Yeah, Nathan speaks several languages fluently. He's perfect like that," Peter told her.

"Hey," Elie said, turning his head with a finger under his chin, "he's not perfect. Not even close."

She kissed him chastely on the lips and a passing nun smiled at them knowingly. Elie blushed at the scrutiny. Peter took her hand as they perused the rest of the displays.

There were many photographs of American soldiers who were tanned from their time in Africa. The sisters had a whole section devoted to the African-American and Nisei fighters in the battle. One photo in particular caught Elie's eye. It was a nun, who was also apparently a nurse, attending to the wounded African-American soldiers in the ruins of the city. The caption read, "Though their own doctors would not treat them according to their need, Sister Natalia Petrelli attended the wounded of the Rainbow Regiment without prejudice."

She looked back at Peter. He was grinning sheepishly.

"Was she a relative of yours?" Elie asked.

"She was like a great-aunt or something," he answered. "She was a nurse before she became a nun. She treated those men without prejudice when their own doctors ignored them because of their color. I wanted to be like that. We came here on that trip when I was twelve, and I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I could be somebody else named Petrelli who was just…good."

Elie took his hand and interlaced her fingers with his. "And she's who you want to name our daughter for?"

"It's a good name," he explained smiling.

Neither of them knew how long they stood there before an elderly sister told them in heavily accented English that it was time for them to leave. Peter thanked her in Italian before they walked out into the dark street. The abbey looked over the town like a bright guardian in the moonlight.

Elie looked up at the man by her side and said, "Thank you for showing me that, Peter."

"You asked, and you deserved to know," he told her. "So, where were you when you figured out what you wanted to do with your life?"

"I was in a graveyard in Buffalo watching them put my mother in a hole in the ground," she answered as they leisurely strolled down the street.

"That's a little…morbid," Peter told her, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

Elie smiled and replied, "It's true, though. The world had no place for people like my mother. I wanted to go into civil service to make a place for all people, but now I'm working for a man who just wants to destroy people like my mother. People like us."

"We'll stop him," Peter promised quietly.

"I hope so," she agreed. "Now, I want to see the Trevi Fountain."

"That's in Rome," he told her.

"Well…we're still in Italy," she said as she walked backward and pulled him along.

"Okay, we could get there in a couple of minutes—"

"No," she refused flatly.

"But—"

"I'm not flying, Peter," she said. "We can take a train."

He laughed as she pulled him along to the train station.

* * *

"How long have you been living here?" Claire asked as the trio climbed the stairs of Peter's apartment building.

"A week," Zach answered quickly. "We're sort of hiding from everyone."

"What does 'everyone' mean?"

"Both of your fathers," he answered quickly as he rushed down the hall.

"Zach, that's crazy," she told him.

"It wasn't my idea," he said as he unlocked the door.

Micah's head of curly hair looked up only briefly from the screen of his laptop. "Good. You guys made it. Are you Alan Cothran?"

"No," Bobby answered, looking like a giraffe in the tiny apartment. "My name's Bobby Landers."

The boy looked briefly at his screen before saying, "You're not even on their watch list. Must be because of your association with Claire."

"Are-are you the little boy from Kirby Plaza?" Claire asked him.

He looked up and grinned crookedly at her. "Yeah."

"You've really grown up," she commented. "What happened to your parents?"

Micah's face fell and he sadly stared back at his screen. Zach placed a glass of chocolate milk in Claire's hands and said, "They're dead."

Her face reddened in embarrassment. "I'm sorry," she said as she sat down on the couch across from Micah.

"It's okay," he assured her. "They both died protecting people they loved. I'm proud of them."

Bobby was inching toward the door. Zach caught his arm and casually said, "You want a Coke or something to eat?"

"Got beer?" he muttered as he folded himself into the ratty armchair.

Micah closed his laptop and looked at the dark-haired boy. "You're freaking out just a little bit, aren't you?"

Bobby nodded as he stared at his hands folded on his knees. "You know what's really freaking me out?" he asked rhetorically. "You guys aren't freaking out at all. Especially you. How come you're not freaking out?" he asked Zach as the younger man handed him a bottle of beer.

Zach smiled. "I always just thought of Claire as the most special effect ever," he said as he sat down on the end of the coffee table. "She didn't require a computer."

Claire blushed and cocked an eyebrow at her friend. He nervously scratched the back of his neck. Micah looked between them, his forehead furrowed in confusion. Bobby shifted uncomfortably in his chair and took a sizable gulp from the bottle.

"Anyway," Micah continued, "we've all been dealing with our abilities for a long time. For a while, there was this company that would chase down people like us. Now it's the government, and _they_ want to lock us up and throw away the key. We're used to hiding, but now we're running too, and we're fighting back."

"How did you get involved in all this?" Bobby asked Zach.

"Long story short," he began, "Claire trusted me with her secret, and I kept it. Because she trusted me, her father trusted me with Micah here. He is probably going to kill me though when he finds out I let Micah talk me into taking him to New York."

"He won't be mad if we do some good here," Micah argued, opening his laptop back up.

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes just sipping their drinks. Their heads all snapped toward the curly-headed boy when he said, "Uh-oh."

"What is it?" Claire asked him urgently.

"The CIA field office in Rome just got orders to detain Peter Petrelli," Micah reported.

"Rome?" Claire asked incredulously.

"Yeah, we saw him leave with his girlfriend yesterday afternoon," Zach explained. "How did they know where he is?"

"I'll figure that out later," Micah said irritably. "Somebody, get me a phone. We have to warn him."

* * *

Peter awoke to the sunlight streaming in through the curtains. He was naked under the tangled sheets. Elie's arm lay across his torso and her head rested on his shoulder. She murmured unintelligibly as he ran his fingertips along her bare spine.

They'd rushed around seeing everything they could. Peter used Daphne's speed to get them from place to place since Elie was still afraid of flying with him. They'd gotten a small room off the beaten tourist track. The rugs were nearly threadbare. The plaster was peeling off the walls. The thin mattress was lumpy on the old metal bed. But none of that mattered when they checked in.

The buzz of a cell phone interrupted the relative peace of the room. Peter disentangled his limbs from Elie's and dug his phone out of his discarded pants. A text message appeared on the screen. It said, "CIA coming for you. Get out now—Rebel."

Peter opened up his senses and heard four men coming up the stairs. He quickly pulled on his pants and shook Elie awake.

"What?" she asked groggily.

"They're coming for us," he answered swiftly.

Elie was soon dressing as well. "Peter, you've got my dad's ability. Is that a load-bearing wall?" she asked him.

He glanced at it and said, "No, but they've made it to our floor. We've gotta go."

Peter was opening the window as Elie stood and faced the wall adjoining the hallway. She stood with her palms facing the wall. An invisible wave burst from her hands and the wall blew out into the hall. Before the roof started caving in, she ran into Peter's arms and they shot into the sky.

* * *

"Senator Petrelli, there's an Agent Emile Danko here to see you."

"Send him in," Nathan answered without looking up from the resolution in front of him. "Where's Elie? I haven't seen her today."

"She called in sick today," the young secretary answered.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said sincerely as he looked up from his desk. "Maybe we should send her some soup."

"Well, Sir, I don't think it was exactly _that_ kind of sick," the secretary explained.

"Oh? Oh," he added gravely as realization dawned on him. "Just send in Agent Danko."

"Right away, Sir," the retreating secretary answered.

Nathan went back to studying the resolution. The senate was voting on it that afternoon and he hadn't even read it yet. He didn't look up from the page when he heard the door open and close.

"What can I do for you, Danko?" Nathan asked with an air of complete disinterest.

"You can tell me how your brother got to Italy without ever getting on a plane," Danko answered.

Nathan looked up at that. "What are you talking about?"

Danko arranged several photographs in front of Nathan. They were pictures of complete strangers in places he recognized in Italy. In each there was a face in the background circled in red. It was Peter's face. He was with a young woman whose face Nathan couldn't see, but Nathan had no doubt it was Elie.

"How did you get these?" Nathan asked.

"Facebook, Myspace, YouTube," Danko answered matter-of-factly. "We have facial recognition software that can find people on the web. Your brother came up on these photos in Italy that were only uploaded this morning. There's no record of him getting on a plane. How the hell did he get to Italy, Senator?"

It was one of the few times in his life Nathan Petrelli was lost for words. He couldn't possibly say, "Well Peter can fly because he absorbs the abilities of others and that one he got from me." That would likely end in complete disaster. He was relieved when he saw the intercom blinking at him.

"Yes?" he answered.

"Senator, there's a man here to see you. He says he's your brother," the secretary told him.

Nathan smiled cockily as he gathered the photographs and handed them back to Danko. "You should check your software," he told him. "It appears to be malfunctioning."

He stood from his desk and walked into the main office. Peter looked tired, and his clothes were rumpled. His hands were fisted in his jacket pockets. Nathan walked right up to him and pulled him into a hug. He could feel his brother resisting and he whispered into his ear, "Don't look at him, Pete."

Peter hugged him back as he felt Danko go past them. Nathan let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. When he let go of his brother he said, "You and I need to have a serious conversation."

* * *

A/N: The history concerning Monte Cassino is fairly accurate as I recall. Sister Natalia Petrelli is made up, of course. Hope you enjoyed it.


	14. Chapter 14: Failure

Claire jumped slightly when she felt a set of fingers on her face. She looked up to see Zach smiling down at her comfortingly.

"Hey, it's 4 in the afternoon," he told her. "You fell asleep. Micah says Peter and Elie are safe in D.C. and the Feds aren't camped out at NYU anymore. You can go back if you want."

Claire smiled sadly. "I'm not really in the mood for school," she said. "I'm beginning to question the point of it all actually."

Zach sat down on the arm of the chair and said, "Don't be like that, Claire. You have a chance for a normal life. You should take advantage of it."

"You _had_ a normal life, Zach," she told him. "Why did you get involved in all of this? Were you bored or something?"

"Well, Odessa was pretty boring without you," he told her smiling.

"Zach, I'm serious. You had a choice," she said. "Why would you choose this?"

He looked at her seriously. "It was the right thing to do."

"You're crazy."

"We're all crazy, Claire."

"Uh, Claire?"

They looked up to see Bobby stepping into the living room from the back of the apartment. Timidly, he continued, "I'm going to go back to school. You coming?"

"I…uh…think I'm gonna stick around here and wait for Peter to get back," Claire answered.

Bobby nodded solemnly. "I guess I'll go then," he said.

Claire and Zach watched as he left. As soon as the door clicked shut, Zach looked down at his friend and said, "Okay, are you two dating or something?"

"No," she answered quickly. "Well, not really."

"'No' and 'not really' are not the same thing, Claire," he told her.

She sighed and said, "We could have been dating, but we just…weren't. I asked him to go to my grandmother's garden party with me and that was sort of a disaster."

Zach chuckled. "Yeah, I heard about that."

"How?"

"Mutant grapevine."

"Mutant grapevine?" she asked, the laugh evident in her voice. "How does that one work?"

"Well," Zach began as he moved across the room and sat on the couch, "mostly it works because of the speedster, Daphne. She can go across the world in a matter of minutes and if she tells your dad anything, chances are Wireless is going to hear it."

"Wireless?" Claire asked, interrupting.

"Oh, she's sort of like your dad's assistant and she can send messages over radio waves, wi-fi, and satellite signals using her brain. She can send Micah or anyone else with a laptop a message pretty much anytime undetected," he continued. "And that's how the mutant grapevine works."

Claire smiled and aimlessly played with a loose thread at the hem of her shirt. "So, you think we're all mutants, huh?" she asked with a sad smile.

"Claire, that's not what I—"

"It's fine, Zach, really," she assured him.

"No, it isn't," he said as he got up and then knelt down to be eye-level with her. "Look, it's just a stupid expression. I'm sorry if it offended you."

She stroked her fingers across his jaw line and rested her hand on his face. "It's okay, Zach," she promised him. "I'd just forgotten that I was the queen of the freaks."

Zach smiled brightly. He moved his head slightly and kissed the palm of her hand. They both froze as the sudden, intimate gesture and backed away from one another uncomfortably.

"Is it dinnertime?" Micah asked, emerging from the back of the apartment and groggily rubbing his eyes.

Claire jumped out of the chair and headed toward the kitchen as she said, "Well, let's see what you guys have."

"Not much," Micah muttered as he plopped down on the couch.

"Hey, I'm 17," Zach protested. "Grocery shopping is not high on my list of skills."

Claire rummaged around in their meager cabinets for a few more moments before she said, "Well, it looks like I could make pancakes."

Zach groaned loudly. "Anything but pancakes," he said resolutely.

"Okay," Claire answered. "I've got twenty bucks in my pocket. What do you guys like on your pizza?"

* * *

"Do you not trust the people in your office, or something?" Peter asked as he and his brother walked down the busy Washington, D.C. street.

"Not really," Nathan said, keeping up their brisk pace. "Why'd you show up at my office, Pete?"

"I wanted to know why you sent the CIA after us."

"I didn't."

"If you didn't, who did?" Peter asked, exasperated.

"Danko," Nathan answered, looking at his shoes. "He's this military badass I found who's had experience hunting down people with abilities. He's becoming a little obsessed with finding you. He suspects you of bringing down that plane when we first started this operation. Did you?"

Peter looked as his brother and said, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Uh-huh," Nathan answered incredulously. "Well, how the hell did you get to Italy."

"How did you know—"

"Danko," Nathan answered, cutting him off. "I told you he's obsessed and he has the government's resources. Now, before we drag this out further, will you please tell me how the hell you got to Italy without getting on a plane?"

Peter smiled crookedly. "Figure it out," he told his brother snidely.

"Jesus, Peter!" Nathan exclaimed. "Elie works for me. If she knows what you are, she could compromise all of us: you, me, Ma and even Claire."

Peter angrily stepped up to his brother and hissed, "Why even include the rest of us? The only one you care about is yourself."

"That's not true, Pete."

"Really?"

"Yes," Nathan said firmly. "I _know_ you and Claire crashed that plane. I _know_ it and I've done nothing. These abilities are dangerous and they need to be contained. I'm not going to stop until that happens. But my family comes first. I've done my best to protect you. Your irresponsible behavior with Elie could undo everything."

"I trust Elie," Peter retorted.

"God, Pete! I never thought you'd get stupid over a woman," Nathan told him.

"Just because your relationships have no depth beyond the bedroom doesn't mean mine do," Peter bit back.

Nathan's jaw set angrily and his right fist clenched in and out. Peter's crooked grin grew mischievous.

"You wanna hit me? Go ahead," he dared his older brother. "A United States senator socking his brother in broad daylight on a crowded street will look real great in the papers."

"You don't want to fight me, Peter," Nathan warned him.

Peter scoffed and said, "Of course I don't want to fight you. You're my brother. But what you're doing is self-destructive. I want to stop you to save you."

"I don't need saving," Nathan answered firmly.

"Then there's nothing left for me to say," Peter said before marching off.

"Peter! Peter!" Nathan called after his unresponsive brother. He watched as Peter disappeared around a corner followed shortly by a streak in the sky.

* * *

"Okay, I have to know," Micah said with a mouthful of pizza, "why is the guy called Duchy if he's Italian."

Claire washed down her own mouthful of pizza with a gulp of water and said, "That's an interesting story. Apparently, when Duchy was younger, before he started the business, he looked like Benito Mussolini."

"I don't get it," Zach said.

Micah's face lit up. "I do," he said. Mussolini was called 'Il Duce.'"

"Exactly," Claire answered. "Duce sounds like Duchy in English and the rest is history."

"I don't really care how the guy got his name," Zach said with his mouth full. "This is amazing pizza."

"Agreed," Micah said, nodding vigorously.

The sound of a door slamming reverberated throughout the apartment.

"I think your uncle's back," Zach said to Claire.

"I should probably go find out what happened," she said as she stood up.

"Claire," Zach called as she reached the door. "Don't mention we're over here. I'm sure Peter has several interesting ways he could kill me for disobeying orders and putting Micah in danger."

"It was _my_ idea to come here," Micah said with his mouth half full.

"Somehow, I think they'll blame me anyway," Zach answered.

Claire chuckled and said, "Your secret's safe with me."

She walked down the hall attempting to clear her head. She heard Peter tell her to come in before she even laid her fist on his door. Peter was standing on the other side of the door with a grim expression on his face and his arms folded across his chest.

"What are Zach and Micah doing here?" he asked gruffly.

Claire laughed nervously and said, "What are you talking about?"

Peter heaved a sigh and laughed mirthlessly. "Claire, I can read minds, understand conversations a hundred feet away from me, and I can see through walls," he reminded her. "So don't fucking lie to me."

"What put you in such a bad mood?" she asked angrily.

"Jet lag," he answered factitiously.

Claire crossed her arms and stared her uncle down. Peter smirked and shook his head.

"Did you learn that trick from Mom?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered shortly. "Now tell me what's wrong."

Peter buried his head in his face and then ran them through his black hair. "We've failed, Claire," he said simply.

"What do you mean?"

"That Danko guy thinks you and I crashed the plane," he began. "Unfortunately he's right. Nathan basically told me he couldn't protect us from his operation anymore. In a few days, we're probably going to have to run or fight him with force."

Claire shook her head. "Maybe I could talk to him," she suggested hopefully.

"We're beyond that now, Claire," he said matter-of-factly. "No one's gonna talk Nathan out of this madness."

She brushed away the tears suddenly forming in her eyes. "You really think Nathan would betray his entire family?"

"Betrayal is the Petrelli family legacy," Peter told her. "It wouldn't be that difficult for him."

Silence enveloped them as Claire's tears dripped onto the floor. Peter's head shot up suddenly.

"Something's wrong," he announced just before Micah and Zach burst through the door.

"The FBI knew their computer system was compromised," Micah said quickly. "I didn't know I was reading false reports until I broke through the last security barrier."

"Micah, cut to the chase," Zach told him.

"The FBI took Bobby when he went back to NYU," Micah answered sadly. "He gave up all of us. A team will be here in less than five minutes."

"Looks like we're running earlier than I thought," Peter muttered.

"Wh-what are we gonna do?" Claire asked in a panicky tone.

"Peter, can you fly with the two of them?" Zach asked him calmly.

Peter nodded solemnly. Zach nodded as well and took Micah's backpack from his hands and pulled his arms through the loops.

"What are you doing? You're coming with us," Micah told him.

"No, I'm not," Zach answered flatly. "I'm just dead weight, Micah. You have to go without me."

"Zach, no. You have no idea what they're going to do to you," Claire protested, grabbing his arm.

"Neither do you," he answered, shaking off her hold on him and holding her hands together in his own. "I'm just a regular guy. I'm no good to them and I'm not a threat."

"They're in the building," Peter announced. "Claire, we have to go."

"Remember who you are, Claire," Zach told her quietly. "You're the queen of the freaks."

Peter wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to the balcony along with Micah. The door burst open and men in black with large guns poured in. Claire screamed as Peter leapt into the air. Someone ordered Zach to put his hands on his head and he obeyed.

"I-I just came in to see if my neighbor had any flour," he lied. "I didn't know he was a felon, or that he could, like, fly."

"What's your name?" the masked agent in charge asked him gruffly.

"Zach," he answered. "Zach Foster."

"You're coming with us."

His arms were forced from the back of his head and plastic restraints cut into the skin of his wrists. He held his head up as they pushed him into the hall and down the stairs.

* * *

A/N: Okay, first, I don't think they ever gave Zach a last name, so I gave him a fairly common last name which also happens to belong to a friend of mine named Zack. Secondly, I know it was the intent of the writers that Zach be gay, but I was a Claire/Zach shipper before I really knew what shipping was, so I'm kind of ignoring that, and I just kind of adore Thomas Dekker. Can anyone identify my nod to the Sarah Connor Chronicles in this chapter? Hope you enjoyed it.


	15. Chapter 15: Secrets and Surprises

"Elie, the senator wants to see you in his office."

She nodded an acknowledgment to the young aide before logging off of her computer and making the march to Nathan Petrelli's private office.

He was sitting behind Robert Kennedy's desk studying a file. His red tie was loose and his shirtsleeves were rolled up. One hand rubbed his furrowed forehead.

"You asked to see me, Senator?" she said as she poked her head in the door.

"Yes, Elie, sit down," he said shortly, motioning to one of the chairs in front of the desk.

She did as instructed and waited patiently while he locked the documents he was studying in the desk. He folded his hands in front of him on the desk, and took a breath.

"I know you weren't sick yesterday," he began. "Peter came to see me yesterday."

Elie bit her lip sheepishly and refused to make eye contact with the senator.

"I couldn't really get him to be honest with me, so I thought I'd ask you, how did you get to Italy so fast?" he explained.

"Private jet," Elie lied without hesitation.

"Okay, I _know _my brother can't afford that."

"Richard Misner can."

"Richard Misner owns a fleet of private jets."

"And Peter apparently saved his junkie son's life from a heroin overdose and didn't say anything to the press," Elie explained calmly. "Peter cashed in a favor to be romantic. I appreciated it." It was almost the truth. The real favor Peter cashed in was that Misner would say he'd let them borrow one of his jets to go to Italy if anyone asked.

"I knew he wasn't a total idiot," Nathan muttered under his breath. "You haven't heard from Peter today, have you?"

"No, actually," she answered. "I thought I might hear from him around lunchtime though."

"If you do, I need you to inform me right away," Nathan told her. "Peter's on the run from the FBI taskforce I've been working with."

"What? Why?" she asked, feigning surprise.

"My lead agent thought he was involved in some illegal activity and when he sent a team to pick Peter up, he…well, he ran. I guess that's a good way to put it," Nathan explained. "He took another fugitive and my family's ward, Claire, with him. If Peter calls you, I want to know about it first. I want to get to him before my lead agent does."

Elie looked down at her shoes before finally meeting the senator's eyes. "Sir, I know that Claire isn't _just_ your family's ward. I can understand why you're concerned, but I don't understand why Peter would run from the FBI. He's nothing if not a very good man."

"He's a better man than me," Nathan said quietly, "but he's aroused the suspicions of my lead agent, and, frankly, his response hasn't helped. Peter's a danger to himself, Elie."

She did her best to look shocked and concerned. Nodding solemnly, she said, "I'll inform you immediately if I hear anything from Peter."

Nathan smiled sadly. "Thank you, Elie. You can go."

Elie quickly extricated herself from the senator's office and went back to her own desk. She pulled her cell phone from her purse and deleted the message from "Rebel" telling her that Peter and Claire were safe and that she should continue to watch the senator's operation. She silently prayed something would happen soon to bring the madness to an end.

* * *

"I made some hot chocolate. Brought you a cup."

Claire looked up at the twelve-year-old girl from her place on the dilapidated porch steps. Molly was attempting a smile and holding a steaming mug out to Claire. ,The older girl gratefully took the mug as Molly joined her on the steps.

"You guys like to make a lot of sweets, don't you?" Claire said, sipping her drink.

"Daphne does most of it," Molly answered, smiling. "She can burn it off real easily, so it's not a big deal to her."

"So…" Claire began uncomfortably, "are you okay with Matt and Daphne being together? I mean, it was a little sudden and—"

"My life has been full of sudden changes," Molly interrupted. "Sylar killed my parents. A company took custody of me to use me as a tracking system. Matt and Mohinder took me in with barely a second thought, and then Mohinder sent me away almost as quickly. And then Matt found me only to hide me away. At least he's with me this time. It's kind of nice having a family that's almost normal, even if we do have to live in the middle of nowhere."

Claire stroked Molly's hair comfortingly. The younger girl rested her head on the older one's shoulder.

"Do you think this will all be over soon?" Molly asked. "I miss the city."

"So do I," Claire told her. "I hope it'll be over soon. I just want to be normal."

Molly lifted her head and looked Claire in the eye. "I never want to be normal."

"Why not?"

"Normal isn't who we are," Molly said quietly. "We're extraordinary. I just want a chance to live my life freely, but not normally."

Claire smiled and pushed a lock of hair behind Molly's ear. "You're pretty wise for a kid."

Molly smiled sadly. "I had to grow up fast."

"Hey," Micah said, a little out of breath as she ran onto the porch. "Matt and Peter want everyone inside now. Emergency meeting."

The girls sighed and followed the boy inside. With their hot chocolates still in hand, they sat down next to Mohinder on the raggedy couch. Daphne impatiently tapped her foot against the floor while she rocked back and forth in the rocking chair. Matt and Peter stood in front of the TV with serious expressions and their arms folded across their chests. Micah sat down on the floor in front of Molly.

"Micah hacked into the computer system of the task force hunting us down," Peter began. "Apparently, it's a joint task force. If the organization has initials, it's a part of Section 26. The president personally granted special jurisdiction to my brother and everyone working for him. That's how they rounded us up without warrants or just causes. Micah discovered something about an hour ago that set some serious things in motion. Matt, you wanna take over?"

The larger man nodded solemnly. "Section 26 sent some men to my ex-wife's house to pick up…Matt Parkman," he said hesitantly.

Molly's eyes immediately widened. "But you're not married anymore. How could they think you were there?"

"Molly, sweetie," Daphne interrupted, "they weren't looking for Matt. They were looking for your son, weren't they?"

"Yeah," Matt answered, a catch in his throat. "I didn't know. Janice lied to me and I trusted her."

"We sent Hiro and Ando to intercept," Peter said when the silence became unbearable. "The baby's ability is to make things work. When he touched Hiro, Hiro got the power to stop time back. He's infiltrated a Section 26 team, but his cover isn't going to last long. We don't know what happened to Janice but Ando has the baby."

Molly silently got up and walked out of the room. Hurt was evident in Matt's face.

"Molly, I swear to you I didn't know," he called after her.

She appeared in the dark hallway holding a large, leather-bound book and a plastic box of pushpins. Smiling, she said, "It's okay, Matt. I understand."

"Molly, I can't ask you to use your ability for me," he said.

"And you can't stop me anymore than you can stop Micah," she answered defiantly as she opened the atlas. She opened it to an enlargement of the western United States. Claire handed her a pushpin and she closed her eyes. She focused on Ando and his big, goofy smile. She saw him driving a jalopy with a baby in the backseat. He looked scared. She opened her eyes as the pushpin penetrated a page.

"That's where Ando and the baby are," she announced. "Their car looks like it's in pretty bad shape."

Daphne examined the map and exclaimed, "Oh my God, they're in the middle of the Nevada desert. I'm going after them."

Matt gently grabbed her arm and said, "Daphne, he's not your responsibility. You don't have to do this."

"He's your child, Matt," she insisted. "He's a part of you and I love you, so I'm going. Be back in a flash."

She wasn't kidding and she and Ando reappeared before Matt had a chance to protest further. Daphne smiled as she took the child from Ando's arms. He giggled and smiled in response.

"Well, he's definitely more adorable than his daddy," she joked.

"He is very smart boy," Ando said, adjusting the diaper bag still on his shoulder.

Matt hesitantly reached out and brushed the boy's head. The younger Matt immediately turned his face toward his father and reached his little hands toward his father.

As Matt held his child in his arms for the first time, Ando took a deep breath and said, "I don't think Hiro can hide long among those men."

Molly closed her eyes before anyone noticed. Her hand drifted toward Washington D.C. Her face contorted in pain. Micah reached up and grabbed her wrist.

"Molly!" he called out to her loudly.

Her eyes shot open and she gasped for breath. "They caught him," she whispered.

"I knew this would happen," Ando muttered. "I should have stayed with him."

"Personally, I'm glad you didn't," Matt said, looking at his son.

"Hiro's important, but his capture is not the biggest problem we've got right now," Peter said solidly. "The big problem is that they've got their fingers on someone who knows everything."

"Who?" Claire asked.

"Your dad," Peter answered shortly. "Nathan's flying him to Washington. On a plane," he added quickly.

Claire's eyes widened. "Dad would never betray us."

"He used to hunt people like us, Claire," Matt reminded her.

Mohinder shook his head. "But he's also a liability," he said to no one in particular.

"What are you talking about?" Micah asked him.

"Noah Bennet knows your brother personally," he explained, looking at Peter. "He knows Nathan can fly. Somehow, I don't think most of the people working for him would appreciate his hypocrisy."

Peter's eyebrow quirked. "What are you suggesting, Mohinder?"

"If we expose Nathan, his whole operation would fall apart," Mohinder suggested.

"Or it could get ten times worse," Peter argued.

"That's a risk we should be willing to take," Mohinder bit back.

"You're willing to take too many risks," Peter hissed as he got in Mohinder's face.

"Calm down, Peter," Matt told him gently.

Peter took a deep breath. "We have to move. Everyone has to move," he declared quietly.

"We can deal with that tomorrow," Daphne said, gently taking the younger Matt from the older. "Mohinder, Molly, why don't you two start dinner?"

Mohinder got up angrily and stomped toward the kitchen. Molly reluctantly stood up as well. She extended a hand toward Micah and said, "You wanna help?"

"Sure," he answered eagerly, taking her hand and following her.

Daphne displayed a forced smile and said,"I'm gonna get this little guy a place to sleep. Don't kill each other while I'm away."

She took the bag from Ando's shoulder and walked toward the darkened end of the house.

"We have to rescue Hiro," Ando immediately insisted.

"Wait a second," Matt interrupted. "What happened to Janice? These people aren't beyond holding people without abilities that we just happen to know."

Claire bit her lip and quickly brushed away a tear.

Ando shook his head and answered, "They let her go, but I am sure they are watching her house."

"At least she's safe," Matt sighed. "But Peter's right about moving. We can't risk your dad telling them everything, Claire."

"He won't tell them anything!" she insisted loudly, standing up. "Not even if they torture him. You know what he's like, Matt. He's a vault."

"Claire," Peter began gently, placing a hand on her shoulder to placate her, "your father would be saying the exact same thing if it were me or Matt they were trying to bring in. I'm going to talk to the colonel. I probably won't be back for dinner."

"Be careful, Peter," Matt admonished.

He grinned cockily from the porch. "I will."

* * *

Elie was surprised to see Jason Barnes' name on her cell phone as she walked to her car. She flipped open her phone and said, "Hey, Jason, I've kind of had a bad day at work. Can I call you back?"

"Elie, I really need to see you. Can you come to Lexington?" he replied.

"Jason, were you not listening to a word I just said?"

"Elie, I _really_ need you to come to Lexington," he repeated with more emphasis. "It's important."

"Okay, I'll be there in a couple of hours."

When she pulled into the VMI campus late in the evening, Jason was waiting to meet her wearing his military issues sweats. Without explanation, he grabbed hold of her arm as soon as she got out of her car and pulled her toward an abandoned bunker.

"Jason, what the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

"Elie, trust me," he growled as he led her into the darkness.

"Where are we?"

He flipped a switch and dim, exposed florescent lights ignited. Elie blinked as her pupils adjusted. Rusted lockers lined the interior walls and wooden benches stacked on top of one another lined the center of the room. A figure stepped out from the shadows. His black jacket was worn and dirty and his hair was uncombed. He attempted to give her a crooked smile.

"I'll be back in an hour," Jason said quietly before leaving the bunker and locking the door from the outside.

"You trusted him," she said.

"Well, you did," Peter answered, "and I trust you."

She silently rushed to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He wrapped his around her waist and breathed her in.

"God, Peter," she said, backing up only enough to see his face. "You ran. I thought I'd never see you again."

He smiled and brushed a hair from her forehead. "You can't get rid of me that easy," he told her, lamely attempting a joke. "I might not see you again after tonight, though."

"Why?"

"We're moving," he answered simply. "Your father knows a place where we can hide and defend ourselves. None of us will probably come out until Nathan's people come for us. We can't survive on our own anymore. We're stronger together than we are alone."

Elie nodded. "I understand," she whispered back. "I think Nathan trusts me. I'm going to try to get on the inside of his operation."

"No, you can't," Peter answered quickly. "It's too dangerous. You have a better chance of staying hidden just working in Nathan's office. I haven't been able to dream, and the last thing I saw was you dying in a jail cell. I don't want to see that happen for real."

She nodded and rested her forehead against his. "I don't want to see that either."

He chuckled as he cupped her face in his hands and gently kissed her lips.

She smiled at him mischievously and said, "Jason _did_ give us an hour."

He returned her smile as he shrugged off his jacket.

* * *

A/N: okay, I'm not really sure if Molly's met Ando, and I'm too lazy to sift through my dvd collection to find out, but let's pretend she met him sometime during their escape and subsequent hiding during the course of this fic. Sorry this chapter is mostly filler, but it should get more exciting the next chapter. Thanks for all the reviews and alerts.


	16. Chapter 16: Out of Control

"What is this place?" Daphne asked as she watched Peter and Mohinder pull open the massive door using their super strength.

"Technically, it's the basement of the Greenbrier Hotel. It was built to house key members of congress in case of a nuclear attack during the Cold War. Now, it's kind of a tourist trap," David Costantin answered. "Right now, we're going to start calling it home."

The colonel, who looked almost too casual without is uniform, led them past the door and into the massive space within. The first thing they saw was an old-style commissary with a long buffet and dozens of tables. Windows behind the buffet revealed an industrial kitchen similar to one in a school.

"Obviously this is where you'll eat," David told them. "Thanks to Mr. Parkman's powers of persuasion, the hotel just fully stocked the pantry. It won't be anything fancy, but at least it's not K-rations."

He led the group down a corridor past several rooms with open doors. Each room had the same beige walls and drab covers on the queen-sized beds. A couple of them had metal cribs one might find in a third-world orphanage.

"These are the private quarters," David explained. "I know the cribs look old, but beggars can't be choosers and, as I understand it, we'll be having more families show up by the end of the day. You'll just have to make do."

Matt gently rubbed his son's back as he followed David through the rest of the hallway and into another open space about the size of the cafeteria. Two-dozen metal bunk beds lined the wall on one side of the room. The other side of the room was split into two parts. One part had metal desks and a few tables. A large rug covered the other part. Wooden toy boxes surrounded the area on three sides. A short activity table anchored the middle of the area.

"This is the main barracks," David explained. "There's actually more bunks on other side of that wall, but I don't see us needing them. The other side of the room is obviously divided into a homework area and a play area. They designed this room with kids in mind. The classroom is down the hall. It's old. No computers; just a chalkboard and some forty-year-old desks."

"Sounds like what I'm used to," Mohinder mused aloud.

"Are you volunteering?" Peter asked, only half joking.

"Sure."

Micah and Molly groaned. Daphne giggled at them.

"Come on, guys, I'm sure Mohinder won't make it too hard," she told them.

"Most important part of the tour's up here," David said, soldiering on. He led them to the end of the hall. Across from the classroom was another room filled with computer equipment like high-res monitors and mainframe processors. Micah's jaw nearly fell to the floor.

"I'm not sure I'm gonna have enough time for school, Mohinder," he said, still staring around the room.

Peter laughed and said, "Not so fast, Micah. I have your powers, remember?"

"We haven't been in school in months. Who's going to notice?" Micah argued.

"It'll keep your mind off things," Matt told him in a tone of finality.

"I have a question," Claire piped up. "How did all of this get down here? I thought you said this facility wasn't being used except as a tourist trap."

"The chairman of the JCS is an old friend from Annapolis," David answered. "He can also control plants with his mind. It came in real handy in Vietnam. He's helping us as much as he can. He made sure the Greenbrier stopped giving tours and got us this equipment. But that's as far as his sphere of influence extends. Apparently, the president is still more interested in listening to Senator Petrelli. Well, I've got to get back to the Institute. You guys get settled and let me know when everybody's in."

As David left, Peter stepped up to the front of the group and said, "We have to get everyone down here as soon as possible. Ando and Daphne, you're gonna take everything west of the Mississippi. Matt and I will take the east coast. Hopefully, we'll be back by nightfall."

"Isn't all of this a little dangerous?" Claire asked. "We're sort of putting all of our eggs in one basket."

"Got another cliché for you," Matt began, "strength in numbers. If Nathan and his henchman, Danko, try to attack this place, they'll have to retreat."

"You mean they'll die."

"I mean they'll go away."

"The point is," Peter interrupted, "we're going and we'll be back soon. We need to be ready to defend this place. Let's go, guys."

Daphne smiled and took a slightly stunned Ando's hand and said, "Back in a flash."

"Alright, little guy, Daddy's got to go," Matt said quietly to his son before handing him to Claire.

"Peter, wait," she called after them, balancing little Matt on her hip. "What about Zach and Bobby and Hiro? They all know things. We need to get them out of holding."

"We can't risk a rescue right now," Peter answered flatly.

"Zach doesn't have any abilities," she argued stridently. "He has no way to defend himself. He got captured to give us a chance to get away. We owe it to him to at least try."

Molly came up from behind Claire and gently took little Matt from her arms. Peter simply nodded at the elder Parkman, and he continued on his way to the door.

"Claire, I know you think this is your fault," he began.

"It is," she interrupted. "If I hadn't told him about me, he wouldn't have gotten involved in any of this and he wouldn't be in jail right now."

"If you hadn't told him, you wouldn't know that you had a friend you could always, always trust," Peter replied calmly. "He knew what he was doing, Claire, and he did it willingly. We'll get him out as soon as we can, but we can't right now."

Claire wiped a solitary tear away from her cheek. "What if he dies first?"

"He knows too much for them to kill him," Peter answered. "We'll have Molly keep an eye on him too. We'll fix this, Claire. I promise."

"Okay," she finally relented. "Be safe, Peter."

"I will."

"Guys, I think we may have a problem," Micah said, his phone in hand. "I just got a message from Wireless. Noah Bennet just got on a plane to Washington D.C."

"What? Why?" Claire asked.

"Senator Petrelli wants to talk to him about a job," the boy answered.

Claire looked back up at Peter. "Dad would never betray us."

"Your father used to hunt people like us down," Peter replied, anger seeping into his voice. "The only person he made an exception for was you. If it would protect you, he would turn us all over to Nathan right now. Fortunately, he doesn't know about this place. But we've got to hurry. Mohinder, the door! You pull, I'll push."

Tears flowed more freely down Claire's face as the blast door closed, sealing her inside.

* * *

"Get out of my house," Angela told her son flatly as she walked into the entryway.

"Please, Ma, just listen to me," Nathan begged.

"You betrayed me."

"_You_ should not be talking about betrayal," he replied, his conciliatory attitude completely gone. "How many times did you betray me and Peter? How many times did you betray Dad?"

"Your father betrayed _me_," she replied harshly, "and he betrayed you. He was going to have you killed for going after Linderman. He was going to kill his own son."

"I don't believe that."

"Believe it," she answered. "Now get out."

"Ma, I didn't know Danko's team was going after Peter until it had already happened," he told her. "I didn't order them after my own brother. I'm not like you, and I'm not like Dad."

"You're more like us than you'd care to believe," she told him as she walked into the parlor.

He stomped after her and said, "We have to find Peter now because he evaded federal agents, and he's got Claire. You want her to be safe, don't you?"

She looked back at him, a little kindness in her eyes. "Nathan, what happens when your agents come after me, or you, or Monty?"

He raised an eyebrow quizzically. "What does Monty have to do with any of this?"

"He can hear very, very well," she explained.

"How could you possibly—"

She cut him off with a single look.

"That's not going to happen," he assured her.

"Look out the window."

Several black SUVs stood in the drive and a dozen agents in black tactical gear emerged from them. The wiry form of Danko led them toward the front door. Nathan grabbed his mother's arm and pulled her toward the back door.

"We have to get out of here."

"Where do you suggest we go?" she asked as he dragged her along.

"To the church," Nathan answered. "Father Francis will keep you safe until we can figure something else out."

When Danko got into the house, all he found was a swinging back door and a streak in the sky.

* * *

Elie looked up in confusion as the senator rushed into the office.

"Are you all right, Senator Petrelli?" she asked.

"No," he answered, grabbing her wrist and pulling her into his private office with the rest of the staff staring at him. He slammed the door, turned on the stereo system, and started running the shower in the bathroom.

Elie's jaw was on the floor. "Senator, what is going on here?"

"I want everyone to think something else is going on in here," he said before shoving her roughly against the door.

"What the—"

His hand over her mouth cut her off. "Listen to me," he hissed. "I need you to get a message to Peter. Mom is hiding at the Church of the Holy Mother in New Haven. It's also possible my son, Monty, is in danger. Whatever crew he has, Peter needs to take them and rescue our mother and Monty before Danko gets to them."

"Senator, d-doesn't Danko take orders from you?"

"Apparently not," Nathan answered. "Please, Elie, my family needs you."

"I'll go right now," she promised. "Senator, what about you? I know you can fly."

"It's not about me anymore," he told her. "Just go and get back here as soon as you can."

She nodded briefly before opening the door and dashing out of the office.

* * *

Elie wasn't used to VMI in the daytime during the school year. Cadets marched across the manicured grounds in tight formation. Some wore fatigues, others wore duty uniforms, and yet others wore dress uniforms. She wove through them barely avoiding the wrath of several NCOs. She ignored everything around her until she reached her father's office. She banged on the door loudly, but no one answered.

"Elie?" a familiar voice asked from behind her.

"Jason, where's my dad?" she asked, not bothering to greet him properly.

"He hasn't been on campus all morning," Jason explained. "His aide said he'd be back this afternoon. What's going on?"

"It's an emergency," she explained shortly. "I can't really tell you about it, Jason."

"It's about that guy, isn't it?" he asked. "The one who's like you and your dad and Josiah Gregory."

She looked at him agape.

"I'm not an idiot," he told her, grinning slightly.

"You can't tell anyone anything, Jason," she quickly replied. "Not even the things you just suspect."

"Duh."

"What's going on?"

They turned to see the gray-haired man adjusting the collar on his open duty jacket. He'd obviously just gotten back to campus.

"I have a message from Senator Petrelli," Elie told him.

"Get inside," the older soldier ordered. "Jason, you should go."

"No, we might need him," Elie whispered as she pulled the gangly young man into her father's office.

"What's happened?" he asked as soon as the Jason closed the door.

"They've gone after Angela Petrelli without the senator's consent and he's afraid his son, Monty, is next," she explained. "Mrs. Petrelli is at the Church of the Holy Mother in New Haven and Monty is in Annapolis with Heidi. He wants Peter to find them and hide them."

David's gaze narrowed toward his daughter. "Senator Petrelli is asking _Peter_ for a favor?" he asked in utter disbelief. "Can't he just save them himself?"

"It's getting out of his control, Dad," she explained. "Peter wanted to save his brother. He's done it, but the rest of us are still in danger."

David sighed deeply and said, "Jason, does your roommate still have that motorcycle he's not supposed to have?"

"Uh…yeah," he answered, slightly uncertain. "I mean, yes, sir."

"Get on it, and get to the Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia as quickly as possible," David said in a commanding, military tone. "Hopefully, Petrelli or Parkman will be there. Tell them they need to get to Peter's nephew as quickly as possible."

"But, sir, I have class in twenty minutes," Jason protested.

"You've come down with the swine flu and we don't want an epidemic," David answered dryly. "Now get out of here, Cadet, before I kick your ass."

Jason followed his orders quickly. Elie looked back at her father.

"What about Angela?"

"I'm going after her now," David replied as he swapped out his duty jacket for a civilian jacket on a peg.

"What?" Elie asked in shock. "Dad, you can't do that!"

"This isn't a discussion, Elie," he told her sternly as he ripped off his tie. "There isn't enough time to get to Peter and save them both. Besides, I'll be able to see anyone coming."

"Dad, at least let me come with you."

"No. You go back to Washington. If Petrelli is changing sides, he'll need you to protect him."

"He can fly! He doesn't need me to protect him!"

"He may have lost operational control, but he's still the only one with the president's ear," David argued. "And the last I heard, the president was still the Commander in Chief of this country. We have to keep the people in authority from finding out who he is. Flying away is defensive, but you could bring down a city, not that I'm suggesting you do."

"So, if Danko goes after Petrelli, you…want me to knock him down?"

"And then run like hell," David replied. "I hope it doesn't come to that. I love you, Elie"

"I love you too, Daddy," was her whispered reply.

* * *

He was a sickly child and when he was ten, they decided he should have an allergy test. He had to hold his arms, bent ninety degrees from the elbow, palms up for thirty minutes after they pricked his arms dozens of times. It was torture to his ten-year-old self, but he knew now, at eighteen, that he'd had no clue what the word torture meant. His arms were in that same position, but his wrists were strapped down. He couldn't move even if he'd wanted to, and he'd been in that position for at least five hours. He was dehydrated and had to pee at the same time, which didn't make much sense, but only added to the torture.

Bobby only knew enough to know that Zach knew way more. That's why Zach was the one strapped to a table without even bread and water and Bobby had a cell with a bed. They'd kindly brought in a monitor so Zach could see this while he waited.

He knew they were trying to reduce all of his willpower before they came in to interrogate him. He didn't care if his arms fell off, or his mouth turned to sandpaper, or he peed himself repeatedly. He wouldn't betray Claire, and he knew she wouldn't forget him. He also knew she could be annoyingly persistent. They'd come for him. He didn't know when, but he knew it would happen.

* * *

A/N: Yes, I know it's been forever since I updated. Finale season came, I got involved in the "Save Chuck" movement (which was sort of successful), then the new Star Trek movie came out, (Zachary Quinto was quite amazing as I wasn't once creeped out by his appearance, he creeps me out everytime I see him on Heroes), i had finals, job search, concerts, the transformers midnight show, and this just sort of got shoved to the side a little bit. In case your interested, The Greenbrier is one of the nicest hotels in the entire country (nice meaning expensive), and there is really a bunker underneath it from the cold war era to house key members of congress and their families in case relations with the Soviet Union went south. It is open for visitors, and I don't think you have to be staying at the hotel to get the tour, so if you're in West Virginia, check it out. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Reviews are nice (but not expensive).


	17. Chapter 17: Family Business

"Shhh, Matt, sweetie," Claire whispered to the baby. "It'll be okay. Your daddy will be back soon."

The boy just cried louder.

"You probably want your mom, don't you?" she muttered. "I know how you feel, kid. Hopefully, this will all be over soon."

She paced the length of the bunker, bouncing him lightly in her arms. When she passed the operations center, she saw a figure on one of the monitors that caught her attention. It was a young man in a mud-splattered military uniform. He'd just gotten off a motorcycle and he was obviously looking for something.

"Mohinder!" she called out.

The Indian man appeared with Molly and Micah right behind him. "What is it?" he asked, the worry evident in his voice.

"Is that a problem?" she said, pointing to the screen.

"Not sure," Mohinder said as he sat down in front of the monitor. "He doesn't look like some sort of spy."

They heard the familiar whoosh of a speedster and Daphne and Ando appeared next to Claire. "What's up?" Daphne asked in her usual, chipper way.

"We have a…what do they call it? A bogey?" Mohinder answered uncertainly.

"That's Cadet Captain Jason Barnes."

They all turned to the lanky figure in the doorway. "And you are?"

"Josiah Gregory," Daphne answered for him. "Just picked him up from Vegas."

"Jason Barnes saved me from the Feds at the Institute," Josiah explained stoically. "He's on our side."

Daphne smiled slightly. "I'll be right back."

Almost before anyone could take a breath, she was back, holding Jason Barnes by the arm. The young man looked slightly shocked but still retained his military composure.

"Hey, Captain," Josiah said quietly.

"Corporal," he answered formally. "Good to see you're okay. But there's more pressing issues. Something's gone wrong and the Feds are going after Senator Petrelli's family. The colonel's gone to Connecticut to get Mrs. Petrelli, but he wanted me to tell you that someone called Monty might also be in danger. He was hoping Petrelli or Parkman would be here."

"We are," Peter's voice answered with a hard edge from the doorway.

Jason and Peter eyed each other warily. Matt rolled his eyes and said, "Okay, kids, this is going to be an adults only meeting. Go show the new people around."

"I'm not going," Claire told him sternly.

Molly shared a look with her surrogate father and took little Matt from Claire's arms. Micah pulled Josiah Gregory away as he shut the door.

"Tell everyone else what you know," Peter told Jason.

The lanky man looked to each of the faces in the room with him. "Senator Petrelli's operation has gone south on him. He wants you to rescue his son, Monty, from his team before they can get to him."

"I know you go to VMI where the colonel works, but how do you know any of this?" Mohinder asked him.

"Elie." He looked directly at Peter. "You believe _her_, don't you?"

Peter glared at the younger man. Matt stepped forward and said, "The colonel's a brave man, but he won't get to Angela Petrelli in time."

"I can," Daphne piped up, "with time to spare."

"I'm coming with you," Matt told her.

"Church of the Holy Mother. New Haven," Peter said shortly. "Go."

Matt took Daphne's hand and they disappeared with a whoosh.

"I'll go get Monty," Peter told them.

"Take me with you," Claire requested.

"Absolutely not."

"Peter, I am not staying here like a vulnerable little girl," she nearly shouted at him. "I'm not vulnerable and I'm not a little girl. My brother is in danger and I am going to help him."

She stomped past him without another word. Peter rolled his eyes and said, "I guess she's coming with me."

* * *

Heidi's old colonial stood tall against the changing light of the day. Peter landed in the backyard and Claire slipped off his back.

"God, I wish I still had the ability to turn invisible," Peter muttered.

"Well, at least she has a privacy fence," Claire replied.

The back door swung open and shut and Monty's little body came bolting toward them.

"Peter! Claire!" he called to them. "I thought you'd be dead. Mom said you were in trouble."

"She told you that?" Claire asked incredulously.

"No, I just heard."

"Get upstairs and get some stuff together, Monty," Peter told him. "You're going away for a while."

"What? Why?"

"Monty, it'll be safer for you and your mom and brother if you just come with us," Claire explained.

"You take him up to his room and get his stuff together," Peter told Claire. "I'll talk to Heidi."

They marched into the house through the backdoor. Claire led Monty up the back stairs while Peter went through the mudroom and into the kitchen. Heidi had her back to him while she talked on the phone.

"Hang up the phone, Heidi."

She turned around with wide eyes. "I-I'll have to call you back," she said into the receiver before hanging it back up on the wall. "Peter, what are you doing here? Your mother is livid at Nathan because you're in trouble with the law. What's going on?"

Peter closed his eyes tight to summon up the courage he needed. "I have to take Monty away from here, Heidi," he said simply.

Her eyes widened in absolute horror. "You are _not_ taking my son, Peter," she told him solidly. "I don't care what Nathan's done, you cannot take Monty from me."

"Mom, what's going on?" Simon asked, walking in from the other room. "Uncle Peter?"

"Go back to your video game, Simon," Heidi said, her eyes still locked on Peter.

The little boy looked frantically between his mother and uncle. "Mom!" Monty's voice called from upstairs.

The older boy appeared in the kitchen doorway with his half-sister behind him. "Mom, I have to go with them," he said.

Heidi turned to her oldest, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Monty, you don't have to do anything."

"Mom, this I do," he answered. "I can hear you breathing when you're outside in the garden and I'm upstairs in my room. Dad's working with scary people who want to hunt people like us down. Uncle Peter can keep me safe."

Heidi looked around at them. "You're sick. All of you. The Petrellis all have this depression. Angela warned me."

"We're not crazy, Heidi," Claire told her as she took a knife out of the block on the counter.

"Claire, what—stop!" Heidi shouted as Claire sliced across her arm.

Heidi covered her mouth as she watched the wound heal before her eyes. Simon smirked and said, "That is so awesome."

"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Claire replied, wiping the blood off on a towel.

"If anyone asks, Heidi, Monty went camping with some friends for a week," Peter told Heidi.

"Peter, I can't—"

He tilted his head slightly and looked his former sister-in-law straight in the eyes while saying, "Monty went camping for a week, Heidi."

"Yeah, of course," she answered listlessly. "He's gone camping."

"Simon?" Peter asked, looking at him.

"It's okay, Uncle Pete," the seven-year-old told him. "I won't tell nobody."

Peter smiled slightly. "I believe you, Simon," he said, passing an understanding glance toward Claire. "Let's get out of here, Monty."

The boy jumped into Peter's arms and the uncle carried him out of the house with the niece following close behind.

* * *

"Take him inside, Claire," he told her as he pulled open the door slightly.

"What? Aren't you coming in?" she asked him.

"Mom's in there," he said quietly.

"I don't blame you, Uncle Pete," Monty said. "I'll cover for you."

The little boy slipped into the narrow space and disappeared. Claire looked up at her uncle and said, "Where are you going?"

"That's really none of your business," he answered.

She smiled slyly. "Going to see Elie?"

"Like I said, none of your business," he replied.

Her smile grew as she said, "Should I tell your mom to wait up for you?"

"Not funny, Claire," he told her.

Her smile faded. "Is Dad gonna be okay?" she asked quietly.

"Which one?" he asked with a slight smile.

"Nathan," she clarified. "I _know_ Dad will be fine."

"If what Barnes guy said was true," Peter began, "we've already won. We just have to fight that last battle."

"You make it sound like one of those fantasy novels," she told him.

"We have superpowers, Claire," he said. "Life _is _a fantasy."

"Be safe, Peter."

"I will."

* * *

"Petrelli, what the hell is going on?" Noah demanded as he walked into the senator's office.

"It's been a little hectic today, Noah," Nathan replied calmly. He looked up to see his auburn-haired assistant come back in. "Elie, will you join us."

The trio walked into the senator's private office. Elie still had her coat on. Noah Bennet looked mad as a bull. Nathan looked as though he'd aged five years since the afternoon. The once confident senator tossed a file on his desk and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I was trying to fix everything, and now it's all out of my control," he admitted. "My family is suffering."

"It's not just your family," Noah reminded him.

Nathan walked to the window and stared down. He chuckled slightly and said, "Thanks for delivering that message for me, Elie."

"But, sir, I haven't—"

"I just saw Danko get out of his car," Nathan explained as he turned around. "He looks mad as hell, which means he failed twice today. Get out of here before he comes up, and take the back way out."

"Yes, sir," she answered. "Thank you."

When she was gone, Noah turned to Nathan and said, "Elie Costantin?"

"How did you know?"

"I know a lot of things."

Nathan guffawed and replied, "That's why I wanted to hire you, Noah, but I don't really care about eradicating abilities. I just want my family back together."

"It's not just _your_ family," Noah reminded him.

"I'll do whatever it takes," Nathan assured him.

"Frankly," Noah began, "you don't understand 'whatever it takes.'"

* * *

"I have to go," he whispered into her ear.

"Don't," Elie replied, pulling on his sweaty arm.

Peter smiled and lay back down on the narrow bed. He pulled her warm body to him and wrapped his arms around her as she buried her head in the crook of his neck.

"I can't stay," he told her. "It's too dangerous for you."

She looked up at him with her face mere centimeters away from his. "So why did you come at all?"

"I didn't get to say goodbye," he answered, "and that I love you, not just because I'm supposed to, but because I do. I love you, Elie."

She kissed him lightly on the lips and said, "I love you too, Peter, but I'm not going to say goodbye."

"Elie, I may not see you again for a long time," he told her seriously. "Nathan may have realized the error of his ways, but that doesn't mean he's going to stop tomorrow."

"I'm not going to say goodbye, Peter," she told him solidly.

"Elie—"

"Peter, you're coming back to me. I know it."

He let go of her and sat up. "There's no way you can know that."

"You can't either."

"I beg to differ."

"The future isn't set in stone, Peter," she told him. "And this isn't going to be the last time I see you even for a while."

She pushed him down into the bed and rolled over on top of him. "This isn't exactly torture," he told her.

"Not supposed to be," she mumbled as she softly kissed his chest.

"Hey," he said, brushing a strand of auburn hair from her forehead.

She looked into his eyes and as he stared back, she heard his voice in her head clearly say a single word: "Greenbrier."

She giggled slightly and said, "Dad's idea, right?"

"How'd you know?" he asked as he gently rolled her onto her back again.

"Dad got me a private tour for a report when I was in the seventh grade," she answered. "I think he flashed his silver star around or something."

"Well, it's a good hiding place," he said before giving her another kiss. "I have to go."

Elie snorted and laughed as she watched Peter get out of the bed.

"What?" he asked as he pulled on his pants.

"You left your socks on," she answered between giggles.

"I was in a hurry," he explained sheepishly.

"Well, so was I, but I don't still have my socks on."

"You weren't wearing socks."

She laughed as he pulled his shirt on over his head.

"Besides," he said as he pulled on his shoes, "there's no sexy way to take off your socks."

She sat up and kissed him on the cheek and stroked his hair. "It'll be over soon, baby," she whispered to him.

"I know," he told her, kissing her softly. "I'll see you soon."

* * *

"It's late."

Peter looked over at his mother. She was sitting at a table in the dining area with a mug of coffee and a shawl around her shoulders. Her hair was down and she looked tired, but self-satisfied. He rolled his eyes and stuffed his fists deeper in his jacket pockets.

"Glad to see you're okay," Peter told her. "I'd hate to think that something happened to Matt and Daphne."

"Don't be mad at me because you can't control your life," she told him calmly.

"What are you doing up, Mom?" he asked her flatly.

"I had to tell you that this is all going to fall apart very soon."

"It's doing a pretty good job of falling apart right now," Peter answered.

"This is only the beginning."

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed that. Out of all of my stories I really needed to update, this was the only one that I managed to get updated. The thing with the socks is based on a true story btw. My best friend started laughing at her boyfriend when she saw that he still had his socks on. There's also a comedian that does a whole stand-up routine based on the idea, but I can't remember his name...Kyle something. Anyway...review and alert. I appreciate it.


	18. Chapter 18: Unexpected Help

His arms had been out of the restraints for over a day, and he still felt like his arms were on fire. He was so dehydrated, malnourished, and weak, he didn't even resist when they took an electric razor to his head. He just woke up in a hard cot with a head like a recruit who'd just gone in for basic training. They'd given him a little water, enough to keep him from dying, but not enough to keep him from experiencing excruciating stomach cramps. He was curled up on the floor, which was more comfortable than the bed, when the door opened. He looked up to see Noah Bennet's horn-rimmed glasses staring down at him.

"Drink this," the older man said as he set a thermos down next to Zach, "slowly or you'll make it even worse."

Zach sat up slowly and reluctantly sipped from the glass. He had to bite his chapped lips to keep from guzzling the entire amount. He looked up at Noah and said, "Guess you changed sides."

"What sides would those be, Zachary?" Noah asked calmly.

"Go to hell."

"How charmingly original," Noah replied. "Where are they, Zach? Where did Peter Petrelli take my daughter?"

"I don't know."

"How much do you know about the government's operations?"

"I don't know."

"You sure about that?" Noah continued. "I know you had Micah Sanders with you. He can communicate with machines. This facility's computer systems have been compromised several times. Did you and Micah have anything to do with that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Now I know you're lying, Zach."

"Prove it," Zach dared before taking another drink.

Noah squatted down to be eye level with the young man and said, "This isn't a game. You're not just keeping a secret from your parents. This is the United States government."

Zach smiled and said, "I'm pretty sure that officially this whole operation doesn't exist. I don't answer to things that don't exist."

Noah stood up and said, "You're going to regret this, Zachary."

"No, Mr. Bennet, you are."

Three weeks went by. Zach refused to talk. His parents filed a missing person's report. It disappeared within the computer system. No one ever acted on it. The news media had turned Monty Petrelli's disappearance, however, into a national crisis. Noah Bennet was constantly in Senator Petrelli's office. Their eyes narrowed and jaws set angrily when ever Danko came in, which was at least twice a day. The senator looked older every time the man with the icy eyes left.

One day, Danko strolled in with a particularly self-satisfied smile. Noah Bennet stomped out minutes later, clearly angry. Elie waited for Danko to leave before she slipped into the senator's office.

"Senator, what just happened?"

Nathan straightened the papers on his desk and laid his pen on top of them. He took a breath and said, "What did Peter tell you about Sylar?"

A shiver ran down Elie's spine. "He kills people and takes their abilities," she answered, "and he never seems to die. Peter finds that part especially problematic."

"We thought he was dead for good," Nathan began, "but apparently the glass my daughter stuck in the back of his head melted when the building burned down. Bodies have been turning up lately with the tops of their skulls cut off. You gotta understand something, Noah Bennet had Sylar four times and lost him every single time."

"Danko brought in Sylar, didn't he?"

"With a Ka-Bar in the back of his head," Nathan answered, leaning back in his chair. "That's not what pissed off Noah, though. Danko wants to use Sylar to hunt down others with abilities."

All the air escaped from Elie's lungs. "That's stupid," she said. "Even if he wasn't a psycho-killer, he'd still be a person, and you just can't train a person like a bloodhound."

"I know," Nathan answered quietly as he stared down at his desk. "Elie, where's my brother?"

"Sir, I have no idea where Peter is," she answered in a voice so convincing she nearly fooled herself.

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Elie, this is all going to explode in my face in a couple of days," he told her. "When that happens, you have to tell Noah Bennet where Peter is hiding."

"What?"

"I have to stay here. I have to fix this even while it's collapsing," Nathan explained. "I'll need Peter's help, but he won't be able to do it without Bennet. Do you understand me, Elie?"

"Yes, Sir."

* * *

"What's wrong, Peter?" Claire asked her pale uncle.

"It's all about to happen," he answered quietly. "It's all about to go wrong."

She sat down next to him and covered his folded hands with one of her own. "What have you seen?"

"You won't like it, Claire."

"I don't like the present, Peter, how much worse can the future be?"

"Elie dies in my arms," he explained quietly, his voice choking up. "Everything I tried to stop, it's happening anyway. And it's worse."

"How could it be any worse?"

"Something is going to happen to Zach," he explained. "I'm not sure exactly what, but I think they kill him to make an example. He's gonna lose his life for helping us."

"Peter, even the future you see isn't set in stone," Claire told him. "Go to Washington right now and bring Elie here. It could change everything."

"I go out and I expose everyone. It's not like I can be invisible."

She nodded silently. "We did a head count this morning," she said quietly. "There's almost a hundred of us now. We can't stay invisible much longer down here anyway. We should go out and stand up for ourselves."

"Sure, Claire," Peter answered, the sarcasm obvious in his voice. "Let's start a whole mutant revolution."

"It doesn't have to be like that."

"It's the only choice we've got left!" Peter shouted, pounding his fist on the table."It's over, Claire. All we have to do is wait for the end."

* * *

"Sir, Danko is downstairs," Elie reported. "He has a casket with him."

"Shit," Nathan said simply. "Where's Bennet?"

"Right here," Noah answered, walking through the door Elie left open. "You know who's in the box, don't you?"

"Yes, but why is he bringing him _here_?" Nathan said as he stood and paced around his desk.

"He thinks you've got a traitor in your midst and he's not too sure of you either," Noah explained. "He thinks Sylar can sniff out anyone with abilities in your office."

Elie's breath caught in her throat and her fists clenched nervously.

"Jesus, he won't have to sniff out anyone," Nathan said loudly. "He _knows_ I can fly."

"You understand the problem," Noah replied simply.

Nathan looked up at his secretary and said, "Elie, get him out of here, and tell him where to go."

"But—"

"Do it, Elie," he said sternly. "Get him out the back way and hurry."

"Yes, sir. Come on."

She motioned for Noah to follow her through the door to the back stairs from the senator's office. They hurried down the dark steps until they emerged into the alley.

"Greenbrier Hotel," Elie said simply.

"I understand."

"Mr. Bennet," she called after him.

"Yeah?"

"Make sure my father's taken care of.

"Of course, but why?"

"I'm gonna try to be a hero."

* * *

Elie didn't know if she was coming down with something or if her planned stupidity was making her sick. She leaned into the senator's door and listened. Senator Petrelli was telling Danko quite loudly to stop what he was doing. Danko was snidely telling him he had nothing to be afraid of. If she didn't do something quickly, it would be too late.

She clenched her fists and felt the power build in her body. Then she released her fists and a concussion wave flew out with her at the center. Windows shattered, desks blew over, and doors splintered. She looked into the senator's office to find Sylar still on his chest with a knife in the back of his skull. She smiled slightly. Her plan worked.

Nathan slowly got to his feet. His mouth opened in shock when he saw the woman on the other side of his ruined doorway. "Oh my God," he said, aghast. "It was you. It was you all along."

Elie stared back contritely, and quietly said, "I'm sorry, Senator."

"Take her down," Danko ordered angrily as he stood.

She felt her chest tighten and then she knew nothing.

* * *

"Colonel Costantin, I need you to come with me."

"Jason, what—"

"Now, Sir," Jason said flatly, but firmly.

Joseph slowly got up from behind his desk and walked out in front of his star student and behind two younger, armed cadets.

"Cadet Captain Barnes, you need to start explaining yourself right now," Joseph told him without looking back.

"We're taking you to the bomb shelter downstairs," Jason answered. "You'll be safer down there with the others."

"What others?"

"Cadets and other people from around Lexington with abilities. We started gathering them together a week ago, sir."

"And you didn't tell me because?"

"We thought you wouldn't approve, Sir."

"You're damned right, Cadet. You're not protecting anybody with this malarkey."

"I disagree, sir," Jason replied.

"Where'd you get the guns?"

"There's more of us than there are instructors," the younger man answered simply. "It wasn't much of a struggle."

"Mutiny is a form of treason, kid. Not only are you not getting your commission, you're probably going to spend the rest of your life sharing a cell with Jihad Johnny."

"It's worth the risk, sir."

"What is this really, Jason?" Joseph asked, stopping and turning around. "Are you trying to impress my daughter? Cause, I've got to tell you, Jason, she's in love with someone else, and I don't see that changing."

"I know, sir," Jason answered quietly. "I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do. Now, if you'll please follow these cadets, I have something I need to handle."

"How'd you get the whole campus to follow your orders, Cadet?"

Jason smiled. "I learned leadership from the best of the best of the best, Sir."

* * *

Captain Jeffries lead his strike team onto the VMI campus. The place was eerily silent.

"This is freakin' creepy," one of his men's voices said into his earpiece.

"Maintain formation, men," Jeffries reiterated.

He looked up to see a lanky young man in a cadet's uniform standing in front of the main armory. He smiled confidently with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Kid, get out of the way or put your hands behind your head."

His smile only widened. "Have you ever heard that expression, 'the south will rise again'?" he asked cockily.

Out of the corners of his eyes, Jeffries saw a few dozen armed cadets spring up from behind every barrier, monument, and building. They were outnumbered at least three to one.

"Got some news for you," the young man began, "it's risen. Toss 'em away."

Jeffries did as he was ordered.

"On your knees. Put your hands behind your heads."

As Jeffries took a position he was used to putting other people in, he said, "Who the hell are you?"

"Cadet Captain Jason Barnes. Welcome to Virginia Military Institute."

* * *

"Wow," Micah said, looking at his phone. "Jason Barnes has control of VMI and he's captured an FBI tactical team. Good thing Wireless told us they were coming."

"How did she know?" Molly asked, sitting down next to him on his bunk.

"She got a message from Mr. Bennet," he explained.

"Well, where's Mr. Bennet?" she asked.

"You guys need to do your homework," Claire told them, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Already did," Micah answered.

"Don't see the point," Molly replied.

"We're maintaining normalcy even if we're living in a bomb shelter," Claire told them. "Molly, finish your homework. Micah, go help the kids over there."

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bunk this morning," Molly muttered walking over to her own bunk.

"Claire!"

She turned to see Daphne standing proudly next to her haggard-looking father in front of the heavy door.

"Dad," she breathed before running to him.

Father and daughter hugged while the speedster quietly excused herself.

"Dad, what happened? I heard you were working for Nathan, and I couldn't understand—"

"Claire, sweetheart, I will explain everything to you, but I need to talk to Peter," he cut her off.

"He's back here," Claire replied, leading her father to the back of the main barracks.

They found Peter lying on his back staring up at the bunk above him. He didn't even look at them as they approached.

"You don't have to tell me," he said quietly. "I already know they have her."

"She did it to protect your brother," Noah replied. "She really cares about your family."

"Peter, I'm so sorry," Claire said, sitting next to her uncle.

"It doesn't change anything," Peter replied hotly, sitting up and pulling away from his niece. "We can't do anything to help her or anyone else that's been captured."

"I have to disagree, Peter," Noah said. "You've got the manpower and I know the layout. We can do this."

"He's right, Peter," Angela said, seemingly emerging from nowhere. "You have to come out of this hole and fight."

"And who gets sacrificed when that happens, Mom?" Peter asked angrily, getting in his mom's face. "Me? Claire? Nathan? Elie? Who has to die for your grand plan now?"

He stomped past his mother and promptly disappeared. "Peter!" Claire cried out.

Peter looked to the person holding onto his right arm. The man was a little older and dirtier, but he still had the same spark in his eyes. He smiled and said, "Hey up, Peter. Heard you might could use some help."

"What the hell?" Noah asked.

Peter concentrated on his newly acquired power and both of them reappeared before the others.

"My God," Angela muttered in surprise.

Claire squinted at the man as long-dormant memories floated to the surface. "Claude?" she asked, walking around the bunk. "Is that really you?"

"It's me, Clairebear," he answered, grinning.

"I-I can't believe it," she breathed.

"Just a moment, love," he said, walking around the bunk to face the man in the horn-rimmed glasses.

"Claude," Noah acknowledged.

The Englishman threw his right fist across Noah's face and landed squarely on his jaw. The glasses flew off as he fell to the ground.

"That's because I don't have a gun!"

"What-what-why did he do that?" Claire asked.

"I'm pretty sure your dad shot him at some point," Peter answered, smirking.

Claude looked back at the younger Petrelli brother. "You won't be seen, Peter," he told him. "You can do this, lad."

Peter looked around at the faces around him and then remembered the face that wasn't there. The face he loved above all others. He knew what he had to do.

"First, we need a plan."

* * *

A/N: This chapter took a long time to write, but I got the third season on DVD and was immediately inspired to finish it. Thanks for reading!

* * *


	19. Chapter 19: Ultimate Solutions

"You have a serious problem, Danko," Nathan told him as he walked into the holding area of his operation.

"It's just a kid trying to start the second civil war," Danko replied calmly. "It's not going to come to anything."

"Every major news outlet in the world is camped out in Lexington, Virginia," Nathan said hotly. "It's a disaster."

"There's nothing on the surface that can connect what's going on there to our operation," Danko replied, still examining the files in his hands. "As long as Barnes doesn't release the names of the agents he captured, we'll be fine."

"You don't get it," Nathan began. "The president wants to send in the National Guard. It will be a bloodbath without a certain outcome, and it will be our fault."

"That doesn't really trouble my conscience, Senator," Danko answered, smirking slightly.

"Oh, you mean you actually _have_ a conscience?" Nathan asked sarcastically.

Danko chuckled slightly. His mood became serious as he looked up from the file in his hands. "Did you know your little secretary is pregnant?"

"What?" Nathan asked, unsure of what he'd heard.

"See for yourself," Danko said, handing over the file.

Nathan looked at the pages that quickly confirmed Elie's condition. "Oh my God," he whispered.

"We'll have the pregnancy terminated this afternoon."

"Like hell you will," Nathan replied sternly.

"She's a federal prisoner. She doesn't have any rights to her body."

"That may be, but that's my brother's child."

"You don't know that."

Nathan laughed sardonically. "I'd like to believe that it is."

"That means the kid could be even more dangerous," Danko argued. "It's not worth the risk."

Nathan grabbed the smaller man and shoved him against the wall, holding him in place with a grip on the throat.

"Listen to me, you son of a bitch," Nathan yelled. "You have fucked around with my family enough already! My mom, my daughter, my son, and my brother are all in hiding. You are _not_ taking another member of my family away before it's even born. Do you understand me?"

Danko held his hands up in surrender. "Fine, we'll just keep her sedated."

"No, you won't," Nathan told him. "You have no idea what those drugs are doing to Elie's child."

"She could blow the building apart," Danko argued.

"I'll talk to her."

"You think that's going to work?"

"We're about to find out."

* * *

"This is a rough map of the holding area," Noah said as he spread a piece of paper out on a table in the dining area in the company of many of the adults in the bunker. "Almost everyone is in this large room. They're unconscious and full of drugs suppressing their abilities."

"We should get there first," Claire said. "We free all of them and we have a lot of backup."

"I agree," Noah said.

"You're not coming," Peter told him.

"Excuse me?"

"They'll have changed all their security codes and procedures," Peter explained. "What you're doing right now is the only thing you can do."

"Peter's right," Angela agreed. "You will be needed elsewhere, Noah."

Her younger son glared at her. "What's your big plan now?"

"Even with invisibility you'll need a diversion to separate Nathan's forces," she explained as she stepped into the center of the room. "Our friend, Jason Barnes, has conveniently already started one."

"Jason Barnes has done enough," Peter protested.

"Well, he needs to do a little more," Angela replied, her head snapping toward her younger son. "Where's Josiah Gregory?"

The young man stepped forward from the crowd uncertainly. Angela nodded to him in acknowledgement. "You'll be returning to the Institute with Noah. Noah, you'll take charge with Colonel Costantin and launch an offensive two hours before Peter leads his team into the holding area. It will draw out and distract any remaining men."

"You realize that plan is basically summary suicide?" Noah asked her.

"Do it, Noah," she ordered him simply. "Go. Micah will contact you when it's time."

Noah motioned for Josiah to follow him as he walked away from the group. Angela looked back at her son and said, "Choose your team, Peter."

Peter looked around and said, "There will be six of us going into the building: two with me, and two with Claude. Claire, you'll be coming with me."

She looked up at her uncle, slightly surprised. "You're just letting me come?"

"I know I can't stop you," he told her. He looked back toward the group and said, "That leaves three. Who wants to volunteer?"

"Me," Micah said, pushing his way to the front of the crowd. "I can help you get past the security systems."

"No way, Micah," Peter replied sternly. "I have your ability, and I'm not putting you in danger."

"I crashed their security so many times, each checkpoint is probably an independent system," Micah argued. "If you guys are planning on splitting up you'll need _two_ people with my ability."

"He's gotta point," Claude muttered to Peter.

The young man sighed in defeat and said, "If anything happens to him, Claude, I swear to God I will end you."

"I believe ya," Claude replied quietly.

"I am coming too," Ando said, stepping out from the crowd. "Hiro is my best friend. I cannot abandon him now."

Peter nodded. "One more."

"You need me."

All eyes turned to the person who spoke. Matt's eyes widened and his jaw set angrily.

"No way in hell, Molly. You are _not _going," he told her.

The girl ignored her adoptive father and said, "You don't know if everyone is in that one room. Claire and Micah's friend, Zach, is normal and wouldn't be with them. You need to know where everyone is and you'll need to know in real time."

"You don't have to come with us, Molly," Micah told her. "You can stay here and text us the locations. It _is _too dangerous for you to be with us in the building."

"I'm staying here," Matt announced putting a protective arm around Molly. "Someone has to stay here ready to defend the compound if this whole thing hits the fan."

"I'll go," Mohinder said, stepping forward. "You could use a strong arm."

"Okay," Peter agreed. "We've got our entry team. Now we need an exit strategy. "Daphne, Matt, we need your help with this. The rest of you can go back to what you were doing."

As most of the group dispersed and the rest of them gathered more closely around the table.

"The plan is simple," Peter began, "we're going in the front door. Micah and I will get us past security, and we'll be invisible to avoid cameras and any remaining security. We'll just have to be quiet. Claude, you and Micah and Mohinder are going to go to this main room and free everyone in there. Claire, Ando, and I are going to free everyone in the single cells."

"What about Sylar?" Claire asked. "Dad said Danko captured him."

"If we run into him," Peter began solemnly, "he's my problem."

"And how are we going to get out of there with all those people?" Micah asked.

"Any ideas?" Peter asked, looking around.

"How many people are we talking about," Daphne asked as she balanced little Matt on her hip.

"Thirty-seven, according to Bennet," Peter supplied.

"We need a truck," Daphne said, "like one of those big army trucks with the canvas on top."

"Nice plan," Claude said with a hint of sarcasm. "Where do we steal an army truck?"

"There are military bases all around here," Daphne answered.

"And they don't use trucks like that anymore," Matt added. "We could probably find one in a surplus yard."

"Who will drive?" Ando asked.

"I will," Angela answered. "I can drive a stick."

"Fine," Peter said, though he sounded annoyed. "Matt, Daphne, go and get back here A.S.A.P. Hide the truck in the woods if you have to."

Daphne passed little Matt to Molly and took the elder Matt's hand. "Back in a flash."

Peter blinked as the wind Daphne created hit his face.

"Will one truck be enough?" Claire asked.

"It'll have to be," Peter answered shortly. "Mom, you're gonna have to come up the back alley here. Stay off the main roads. A truck like that's going to attract too much attention. Claude, what that means is that you're going to have to lead everyone all the way to the back."

"You do realize I can't make thirty-seven people invisible?" Claude asked.

"You won't have to," Peter promised.

"It will be forty people with abilities against a few men with guns…hopefully," Mohinder finished.

"It's still bloody stupid," Claude told them.

"Claire, Ando, and I will take care of any remaining guards before you start freeing everyone. Satisfied?"

"It'll work."

"_We_ will go through these cells, free anyone who's there, go onto the offices and find Nathan."

"Nathan?" Mohinder asked, obviously annoyed. "Why? He's the one that got us into all of this."

"He's my brother and we're getting him out of there," Peter answered sternly. "Any more questions?"

"Well, it's a plan," Claude concluded. "Not a good one, but a plan all the same."

"He's right, Peter," his mother told him. "There's very little room for error and a great chance for it."

"It's all we've got," Peter replied as he rolled up the map. "We go tomorrow night."

* * *

Elie felt a hard surface beneath her back. Her eyes opened to gray concrete walls. The air she breathed was stale. Senator Petrelli was sitting a few feet away on a metal chair. His forearms rested on the top of his thighs. His hands were clasped together and his face was grim.

"Hey, Elie," he said quietly.

She sat up slowly. She was wearing what looked like blue scrub pants and a white t-shirt. She noted that her feet were bare.

"How long have I been out?"

"Just a few hours."

"Really? I thought you'd just keep me sedated forever."

"You're pregnant, Elie."

All the air escaped her lungs and she stared at her former boss agape. "What-how do you know?"

"They did an exam when they brought you in," Nathan explained briefly. "I got you out of sedation to protect the child."

"It's a girl," Elie said, barely above a whisper.

Nathan cocked an eyebrow and said, "How could you possibly know that?"

Elie smiled slightly. "Call it woman's intuition."

Nathan chuckled. "Elie, you have to listen to me," he began seriously, "you can't use your ability. If you try anything, Danko's just going to terminate your pregnancy and put you back under sedation. Do you understand me?"

She bit her lip and nodded silently.

Nathan stood and said, "You know, this isn't how I pictured handling my brother becoming a father."

"This isn't how I pictured becoming a mother," Elie countered.

Nathan nodded grimly before walking out the door.

* * *

"I think we may have found an ultimate solution to our problem," Danko said almost cheerfully as he lead the senator to the labs in their headquarters.

"Ultimate solution?" Nathan asked incredulously. He didn't like that rhetoric.

Danko brought a screen up on the computer with a double helix and other figures Nathan couldn't understand. "I wasn't big on genetics at Annapolis," Nathan told him.

"This is a combination of several things we garnered from the Primatech files from your mother's house and from Bennet, who has disappeared, by the way," Danko explained.

"He was having problems at home," Nathan lied without even really thinking about it. "He's probably trying to salvage his marriage. What 'several things' are you talking about?"

"The suppression drugs, the Shanti virus, and your father's DNA," Danko answered.

"My _father's_ DNA?"

"He didn't just absorb the abilities of others, he removed them," Danko said matter-of-factly. "The original version of the Shanti virus suppresses abilities as do the drugs we give them."

"The Shanti virus will also eventually kill its victims," Nathan pointed out.

"Then it's a good thing your parents' little company spent so much time and resources modifying the virus. We have a formula that's stable. We just need a test subject."

"And you want one of them?" Nathan asked in near disgust.

"We don't have a lot of options here, Senator," Danko replied. "I was thinking this kid."

Nathan looked down at a picture of the boy Claire brought to his mother's garden party. "Why him?"

"All he can do is shut off the lights," Danko clarified. "If we have to, we'll light a candle and give him the injection. He can't hurt anybody or run away. It's a good choice."

"This kid has a family," Nathan said, shoving the file back into Danko's hands. "What are you going to do when he dies?"

"If he dies," Danko corrected. "We have to do this, Senator. It's always been your endgame to remove these abilities. We're never going to do that without testing."

Nathan swallowed hard. "Fine. Do it."

"Thank you."

Nathan felt a rock in his chest as he walked away from the hunter in the lab.

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed that. Watching the third season over has really gotten my reinspired. There's only going to be three or four more chapters after this, so thanks for all your support. I really appreciate it.


	20. Chapter 20: Rescue

A/N: This is my longest chapter yet and it's got a lot of action, which is not my forte. That being said, I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

"I sent the message to Mr. Bennet," Micah said as he came out of the communications room. "They fired a single shot near an FBI van, and all hell predictably broke loose. There's only about twenty people left in Building 26, but that creepy Danko guy is one of them."

"Right now," Molly began, pointing to the map, "Zach is here, and Elie is three cells down. All the names you gave me, they're all in the main holding area. But there's something else. Sylar is awake."

Matt's eyes widened angrily. "You went _looking_ for him?!"

"They needed to know," she replied bitingly.

"Who is this Sylar you lot keep talkin' about anyway?"

They all looked at Claude with raised eyebrows. Peter simply said, "He's the villain."

"Oh, right then."

"It doesn't change anything," Peter reiterated. "Before we get into the city, I'm gonna fly beneath the radar and scout out the building. We meet three blocks away and go in from there. We keep it simple and we stay alive. Let's go."

Matt, Daphne, and Molly solemnly watched the other seven leave. Others in the bunker stopped what they were doing and acknowledged them. Some offered wishes of good luck. Others shed tears.

When they passed through the large door, Daphne stepped in front of Matt and said, "Molly, could you give us a minute?"

"Sure."

"Do your homework, please, Mol," Matt told her.

"Whatever," Molly said, trudging away.

Daphne took a deep breath and said, "Matt, you and I both know Peter's cockamamie scheme has very little chance of success. The first people they'll go after are our families. I'm going to get the Petrellis, the Bennets, and Janice, and I'm going to bring them back here."

"Daphne, you don't have to do that."

"I know," she answered, "but it's the right thing to do. I'm not like you, Matt. I haven't done the right thing my whole life. Any chance I get to make up for all the crimes I've committed, I'm going to take it."

"Daphne—"

"It's okay, Matt, I'll be right back." She kissed him softly and then she was gone.

* * *

"What the hell have you done?" Nathan yelled after Danko as he ran down a hall of flickering lights.

"Your daughter's boyfriend isn't reacting well to the formula," Danko answered as the senator skidded to a stop in the doorway.

The young man's screams reverberated off of every wall.

"Can't you stop it?"

The screams ceased and the lights stopped flickering. Nathan's eyes widened in horror as he stared at the lifeless young man on the table.

"Jesus Christ. You killed him."

"Collateral damage," Danko justified.

"Son of a bitch!"

"Call me all the names you want, Senator. I'm just doing your dirty work for you," the military man answered calmly. "We need to do more tests."

"You're not taking another one of them," Nathan said forcefully, towering over the other man.

"We'll see about that, Senator."

When Danko was gone, Nathan turned to the meek lab tech and said, "Show the kid some respect. Cover him up."

* * *

Peter finished his reconnaissance flight and met the others as they climbed out of the truck.

"Only a dozen guards," he reported, "but half of them are in the main holding area. There's a couple of analysts, a lab tech, Danko, and Nathan, but they've got weapons close to them so be careful. Micah, you especially. You understand me?"

"Yeah, I understand," he said. "I'm very smart. I get things the first time you tell me. The president's called up the National Guard. Barring a miracle, Jason Barnes will lose VMI in a couple of hours. We'll never get a second chance at this."

"Let's go," Peter replied, wrapping his arms around Ando and Claire and disappearing from view.

* * *

"Monty. Monty, wake up."

"What is it?" the nine-year-old asked drowsily before looking up at the blonde pixie he knew as Daphne.

"Gotta surprise for ya," she said cheerily.

"What is—ah!"

"Monty!"

"Simon?" the older brother asked after being tackled by the younger brother.

"Sweetie, thank God you're okay."

"Mom?" Monty asked as his mother sat down and wrapped her arms around him.

Daphne smiled to herself and said, "Petrellis down. Bennets to go."

* * *

"Danko wants to see you boys in the bullpen."

The two guards looked at each other, shrugged, and walked away from the door marked, "Human Resources."

"You guys don't need to be in here," Nathan told them. "You can guard these people fine from outside."

The agents nodded and stepped outside. He looked around at the thirty plus people sedated and lying around the room. He had to find someone he knew that wouldn't kill him as soon as they saw him. That would take time.

* * *

They wheeled a television screen in front of her. Elie flinched when the screen revealed a boy she only recognized by rough description as Claire's friend, Zach. Danko walked into her cell, his Ka-Bar in his hand.

"Senator Petrelli doesn't want anything to happen to you," Danko said, circling her. "Lucky his baby brother knocked you up before you effectively turned yourself in."

Elie rolled her eyes and wished she had something to throw at him.

"But I _know_ you have information we need," Danko continued, slowly waving his knife in her face. "I have to get it out of you some way."

He grabbed a fistful of her hair and exposed her throat. The knife touched her skin and he said, "Since I can't hurt you to make you talk, I'll have to hurt someone else."

He sliced off the auburn hair in his hand and let it drop to the floor.

"Son of a bitch!"

"Watch!" he commanded, pointing at the screen with his knife.

The man Elie saw on the screen frightened her more than the man with the knife ever could.

* * *

"Hello."

Zach was sure his heart stopped as that voice slice through him. "I know who you are," he told him. "I don't have anything you want."

Sylar smiled. It didn't comfort Zach in the slightest. "Of course you don't," the serial killer replied. "You're just in my path to getting exactly what I want."

"Which is what?"

"All of your friends with their skulls cut open."

"You can hurt me all you want, I don't know anything and I wouldn't tell you if I did."

"It's not you that's going to talk, Zach," Sylar told him.

Zach slammed into the concrete wall. His feet were off the ground and he couldn't move no matter how hard he struggled. Blue lightning appeared in the killer's hands.

"I'm sorry I have to do this to you," Sylar said insincerely. "You're really not worth it."

Zach screamed in agony as the electricity coursed throughout his body.

* * *

"Where are they?"

"You're a sick freak, you know that?"

"Watch!" Danko yelled, grabbing hold of her newly shortened hair.

"You made a deal with the Devil, Danko. What did you promise him?"

"All of you," Danko replied simply. "Where's your boyfriend? Tell me or that kid dies!"

"Go to hell!"

Danko turned up the sound on the screen and Zach's screams filled the room. Elie tried to cover her ears, but Danko pinned her arms to her sides. And so, she added the sound of her own screams to those of the boy a few cells down.

* * *

Nathan looked up and toward the door. "Jesus Christ, that was Elie," he said to himself.

"It sounds bad," Hiro stated drowsily as he sat up on the gurney from which Nathan had just freed him.

"I gotta save her, Hiro. Can you stop time?"

"Hold onto me," Hiro told him. "I will try."

Time didn't stop, but it slowed to a snail's pace. Nathan looked back at Hiro. His nose was bleeding.

"Are you okay?"

"I will be fine," Hiro told him matter-of-factly. "Go save your friend."

Nathan nodded and ran for the door. He took a taser out of one of the guard's vests and stuck him and his three compatriots. They collapsed like wet spaghetti. He kept the taser in hand as he ran down the hall. He found Elie's open cell and the sounds of screaming and shouting were horribly distorted. On the screen he saw Sylar torturing Zach with some sort of electricity. He jabbed the taser into Danko's neck. He fell halfway to the ground in slow motion before hitting the concrete with a sudden thud.

Elie turned around, wide-eyed. "Nathan, how—"

"I'll explain everything later. Come on," he replied as he took her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"But Zach, he's—"

"I can't take on Sylar alone," Nathan told her flatly. "I have to get you out of here."

Claxons started blaring throughout the halls couple of minutes later. "Who the hell set off the fire alarm?" Nathan yelled, covering his ears.

"I don't know!"

Nathan turned to see a boy-though he looked more like a young man now-he knew as Micah Sanders, Niki's son.

"The police and the fire department aren't coming," Micah explained. "I made sure of that."

People started streaming out of the "Human Resources" room. Mohinder and another man Nathan didn't recognize appeared out of nowhere.

"You?" Mohinder asked. "You're helping us now?"

"Just cleaning up my own mess," Nathan shouted over the din.

"Turn off that damn noise!" the bearded men yelled at Micah.

The boy closed his eyes and the hall was suddenly quiet. People continued to stream out of the room following Mohinder's silent instructions. Nathan noticed he couldn't hear Zach screaming.

"Where's Peter?" Nathan asked.

"Help! Somebody help!"

"Claire," Nathan breathed before running back up the hall.

Claude told Micah to take over as he and Mohinder and Elie followed the senator.

* * *

Claire heard a man screaming. Something grabbed hold of her insides and she just knew it was Zach. She let go of Peter's hand and ignored his protestations. The fire alarm sounded as she rounded the corner to find an open cell door. Zach was in a heap on the floor. His neck was burned and he shook uncontrollably. His eyes were bloodshot and unfocused.

"Zach?"

He didn't respond.

"Help!" she called. "Somebody help!"

"Claire?"

She looked up, shocked to see her biological father. "Dad?" she asked. "You have to help me. I think he's dying."

"He was electrocuted," Elie explained. "It was Sylar."

"Where is he?" Claire demanded angrily.

"I don't know. He was in here," Elie answered.

Claire looked up at the group in the doorway and said, "Mohinder, we have to get him to the truck. Be careful. Dad, is anyone else still in the building?"

"All the guards are out of commission."

"Danko wasn't in my cell," Elie told them as she moved to let Mohinder get by.

"Oh, shit."

A male scream pierced the air and the group ran toward it without hesitation.

* * *

Peter stopped calling for his niece when he heard footsteps coming from the opposite direction. He and Ando stilled and waited as Danko walked right by them. The small man pulled the fire alarm on the wall and claxons blared and Peter had to resist the instinctive urge to cover his ears. They followed Danko to the area of the building with labs. The alarm cut off and Peter whispered for Ando to be ready to strike.

Peter found a quivering lab tech and Bobby's body as he opened the door. He immediately went to the young man's body and asked, "What happened to him?"

"He was unlucky."

Peter turned toward the voice and a blade slashed across his face in meeting. He didn't start healing. Pain built and soon his face was on fire. He screamed and collapsed on the floor. He started losing control of his abilities and the lights started flickering and fire shot randomly from his hands. He knew he was about to die.

Nathan found Ando struggling to stand outside the lab. The lab tech was unconscious on the other wall. The lights started to flicker as Peter's screams grew louder.

"Peter!" Elie screamed when she saw him writhing on the floor.

Nathan held her back, taking a quick survey of the room. Danko's abandoned Ka-Bar told him everything he needed to know.

"Danko must have laced his knife with the formula," he told them. "It's going to kill him."

"Dad, give me your pocket knife," Claire demanded holding out her hand.

Nathan did so and Claire calmly continued, "Hold him down."

The three men held Peter down as Elie stood back, tears streaming down her face. Claire calmly cut her hand open and let her blood drip into his open wound. He immediately stopped screaming. The lights stayed on, and the fire disappeared from his hands. The wound dried and healed into a scar that ran diagonally across his face from above his right eyebrow to beneath his left eye.

"Thank God you're okay," Elie said as she threw her arms around Peter.

He held her close with one hand tangled in her hair. He kissed her temple and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Guys, we have to go," Micah said in the doorway. "Danko got away and he's about to send in a new tactical team."

"Let's go," Nathan said, pulling his brother to his feet.

* * *

Janice Parkman jumped when she saw the small blonde woman in her kitchen that appeared out of nowhere. She grabbed the knife closest to her and held it up defensively.

"Janice, I'm not here to hurt you," the pixie-like woman told her.

"Who are you? What do you want? Do you know there are police outside?" Janice rambled in response.

"My name is Daphne Millbrook. I'm here to take you to your son so you can be safe. And I know there are cops and agents outside, but I move too fast. They can't see me."

Janice lowered the knife. "You know where my son is?"

"He's been with his father and me for the last month," Daphne explained. "We've been taking care of him. I'm Matt's…well, I'm sort of his girlfriend."

"Sort of?"

"It's complicated," Daphne told her. "Look, the danger is about to increase exponentially, and you need to come with me."

"Let me grab my toothbrush," Janice said sarcastically.

* * *

Peter and Nathan stared at one another from opposite sides of the truck. Zach was between them, his head resting in Claire's lap. Elie wrapped Peter's jacket around herself more tightly. Claude sat silently on Peter's other side. Micah held his cousin's hand and talked to her quietly. Tracy Strauss was on his other side. Hiro was still bleeding intermittently and Ando and Mohinder sat on either side of him attempting to stop the blood. Everyone else in the cramped space he didn't recognize. They were all drowsy and frightened.

"Why did you do it, Nathan? Why did you help us?"

"I've always been trying to do the right thing, Pete," the elder brother explained. "It just took me a while to figure out what that was."

"People are _dead_, Nathan," Peter reminded him. "Sylar is on the loose, and your hunter is about to start hunting you."

"Shut up! Both of you!" Claire yelled, looking quickly between the brothers. "Arguing about the past isn't going to change the present or the future."

That silenced them for a few minutes before Peter said, "What are you going to do about all this, Nathan?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly, "but we'll figure something out."

"We?"

"Yeah. We."

* * *

"Just go down this hallway 'til you get to the big metal door. Someone should let you in," Daphne told Janice as soon as they were in the Greenbrier basement.

"Where are you going?"

"I thought I saw something in the woods. I'm going to check it out."

Before Janice could even protest, the woman was gone. Her footsteps sounded overly loud on the floors. She sped up when she saw the metal door. She didn't think knocking would make much difference, so she hoped someone would let her in. She was a few feet away when she heard heavy boots behind her.

"Down on the ground!" a gruff voice ordered.

Janice dropped the single bag she'd brought and knelt down on the ground. Six men in all black came closer with their guns drawn. Janice swallowed hard and prayed no one would open the heavy door.

"Hey!"

By the time they turned, Daphne was already on the other side of the hall. She grabbed an agent's rifle from his stunned hands and hit him in the head. She repeated the action four times successfully. The last time, however, the leader was ready for her. He stuck her with a knife the moment she stopped.

"No!" Janice screamed.

The agent started to run away. A man with horn-rimmed glasses appeared from an alcove and shot the man in the chest before he could even react. The heavy door opened and Janice saw her former husband out of the corner of her eye. He immediately knelt at Daphne's side and laid her head in his lap.

The man in the horn-rimmed glasses ran up and, out of breath, said, "Oh my God. I came back to warn you they might be coming. They captured Josiah Gregory. We could hear him screaming. I didn't think they'd get here this fast."

"Matt," Daphne whispered.

"I'm here. I'm right here," he whispered back. "Bennet, go get the doctor!"

Janice stood frozen with her hands over her mouth as the other man passed her.

"Matt," Daphne repeated. "You have to let me go."

"No."

"You have to let me go."

Janice tore her eyes away when she heard a baby whimpering. Her son was in the arms of a twelve-year-old girl. She was crying as she watched Matt with Daphne. Janice wrapped her arms around them both and whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"If you love me, Matt, you'll let me go," Daphne whispered. "It was just a dream, Matt."

"Spirit walk," he corrected, chuckling in spite of himself.

"Thank you for loving me, Matt."

"No, Daphne, no!"

She breathed out and her eyes closed. Matt's whole body shook with sobs. The bespectacled man walked back out with another man. The new man shook his head when he pressed his gingers to Daphne's neck. Matt hugged her to his chest and cried even harder.

"Matt, we have to get her inside. We have to get all of these people inside."

"Go to hell, Bennet."

"Matt, if one of the staff finds these people, Daphne won't be the last one to die."

Matt scooped the blonde woman up in his arms and carried her past Janice and Molly. The young girl looked up at the other woman and said, "I should-I should go with him."

Janice took her son and tearfully replied, "Go on. Thank you." The young girl followed her surrogate father inside.

"You should get inside too, Mrs. Parkman," Bennet told her. "And tell them we could use some help out here."

Janice was still in a daze as she walked into the bunker behind the big metal door.

* * *

"Did you kill this guy?"

Noah's eyes widened as he looked up and saw his son taking the shoulders of the man he'd killed a few minutes earlier. "Lyle? What the hell are you doing here?"

"That woman Parkman carried in brought me and Mom here," Lyle answered. "Are you going to help me with this guy, or are you going to stand there like a statue?"

"I don't like this, Lyle," his father said as he took the feet of the dead man.

"Really? I was thinking about going into the family business."

"That's not funny."

"I'm helping my father carry a guy he just shot," Lyle replied. "I don't think it's funny either."

"Let's just get this guy to the freezer."

They dumped his body in the walk-in freezer in the kitchen. It probably wasn't very sanitary, but it would have to do. Sandra met them immediately when they came out.

"What's going on, Noah? Where's Claire?" she asked, nearly frantic.

Noah sighed and said, "She went with Peter to free the others in Building 26."

"And you just let her go?!"

"She would have gone even if I told her not to," Noah replied angrily. "She has a mind of her own, in case you hadn't noticed."

Sandra opened her mouth to shout back when a small voice started yelling, "They're coming! They're coming back!"

Monty Petrelli ran to the metal door. When he realized no one was following him, he turned and said, "I can hear them. They're back! Somebody help me with the door."

Monty's mother looked askance at him. Simon ran to his brother and tried to help him with the door. Several others, including Lyle and Noah, ran to help as well. Monty's face brightened when he saw the group of people in the hall.

"Dad!" he yelled before sprinting toward his father, his little brother on his heels.

Nathan squatted and caught both of his boys in his arms. Noah caught sight of the limp body in Mohinder's arms and the worried look on his daughter's face.

"Go get the doctor and bring a gurney," he quietly ordered his son. Lyle turned quickly and ran toward the back of the bunker as his father rushed forward to meet the group.

"What are you doing back here, Bennet?" Peter asked him.

"I'll explain everything later," he answered. "We need to get all of you inside first. What happened to Zach?"

"Sylar happened," Claire answered as a solitary tear slid down her cheek.

The doctor came with a gurney and Mohinder laid the young man down. The doctor laid his head against Zach's chest, and said, "His heartbeat's irregular. We gotta get him inside now."

Claire ran after the gurney as the doctor and a couple other men wheeled it inside. Hiro nearly collapsed and Mohinder moved quickly to keep him from falling. It took the support of both Ando and Mohinder to keep Hiro upright.

They all walked into the bunker like soldiers just returned from battle. One man started clapping slowly, and other's soon joined him. Simon smiled and wrapped his arms around his father's neck while Monty held tighter to his hand. Elie wrapped her arms around Peter's waist and sighed with relief. Hiro even managed to open his eyes and smile at the crowd.

When they'd quieted down, Peter said, "Let's try to find these people some clothes and get them a bed. Mohinder, get Hiro to the medical facility. You might be able to help him."

"Right. Come on," the geneticist replied as he urged Hiro and Ando to follow him.

"Nathan," Heidi began as she marched up to them. "What in God's name is going on here?"

"That…is going to take some time to explain," Nathan answered reluctantly.

"And it's time we don't have," Noah interrupted. "I have to talk to you. Now."


	21. Chapter 21: The Best Of Us

Peter buried his face in his hands as Noah told him about the deaths of Josiah Gregory and Daphne Millbrook. The one bright spot was that Jason Barnes and Colonel Costantin still had control of VMI. The National Guard refused to fight and joined the cadets. The agents were requesting the reserves when Noah left.

"Nathan, you've got to get a hold of the president," Peter told his brother. "You can't let him send in the reserves."

"And what exactly am I supposed to tell him, Pete?"

"I don't know. I'm not the lying, self-interested snake in the family."

"Stop it, this isn't helping," Elie told them. "You're brothers. You're not supposed to agree on everything, but you're never going to fix this if you don't start working together."

"She's right," Angela said, stepping in front of her sons. "We've all forgotten how connected we are. We've forgotten we're family. We're going to have to remember that if we're ever going to move forward."

"And why should we listen to you?" Nathan asked angrily.

"Yeah. Why?" Peter added.

She looked at both of her boys and smiled. "I have lived with this burden longer than you've been alive, and I've survived while everyone else is gone. Besides that, I'm your mother and you couldn't get rid of me if you tried."

Silence fell on the group. Elie laced her fingers with Peter's. He looked up at her and saw the near pleading look in her eyes. He and his brother glanced at each other at the same moment, and a silent truce passed between them.

"I have no idea what I'll say to the president," Nathan admitted quietly.

"How about the truth," Peter suggested.

"Senator," Micah began as he joined the group, "the Greenbrier is paging you. You have a call at the front desk."

"What?" Nathan asked. "I don't have a room here. No one even _knows_ I'm here."

"According to the hotel computer system, you have a suite, but you're not picking up your room phone," Micah replied, grinning slightly. "You should take the call before they start to wonder."

"Excuse me," Nathan said automatically as he stood and headed for the door.

* * *

Claire sat on a table in the improvised infirmary. Her mother sat next to her with an arm wrapped her shoulders. Claire hadn't even asked her how she got there. It was just innately comforting that she was.

Matt and Peter stole some equipment from a private hospital a couple of weeks earlier after Dr. Byron arrived. The sleek, modern equipment looked odd next to beds from 1967.

Matt stood staring down at Daphne. Molly held his hand. Janice stood a few feet away, holding her son. She'd barely been more than a few feet away from her ex-husband since she got there. Ando kept pestering Mohinder as he looked at some samples from Hiro through a microscope. Claire thought Mohinder was handling it admirably as he hadn't yet broken Ando's neck. She couldn't see what was happening with Zach. The doctor hid him behind a screen as he worked with a single nurse. That worried Claire. In all of the movies and television she'd ever watched, a closed screen meant someone was about to die.

"Claire?" Mohinder's voice broke her out of her reverie.

"Yeah," she replied looking over at him. He was holding a syringe.

"I have a theory about what's affecting Hiro," he explained. "I think the properties of your DNA could help. Would you mind if I took a blood sample?"

"No," Claire answered, holding out her arm and pushing up her sleeve.

Mohinder made quick work of taking her blood and nodded his thanks. Sandra rubbed her daughter's back and said, "You're so brave."

"Not really," Claire replied, shaking her head. "It's not really bravery when you always know you'll be okay."

Sandra brushed some hair from her daughter's face and said, "You don't always know you'll be okay, Claire, and you'd lay down your life for your friends. That's true bravery."

"Claire, Mrs. Bennet."

They looked over at Dr. Byron. He was wiping his hands on a towel.

"What?" Claire asked cautiously.

"He's gone," Byron told her. "I have him hooked up to life support, but he's not in there anymore. I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do. We can't really get in touch with his family, so I'm leaving the decision to keep him alive up to you."

"Oh my God," Sandra muttered, covering her mouth with both hands.

Claire wiped away the new tears on her cheeks. "Could you-could you give me a minute with him?"

"Sure," Byron answered, motioning for Sandra to follow him away.

Claire stepped behind the screen. She could barely see Zach beneath the plastic tubes and wires. The beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound she could hear. The burns on his neck and face were exposed and grotesque. She'd seen worse on her own body, but on some one else, it made her sick.

Silently, she removed the tube from his mouth and throat. Then she found the electrodes beating his heart for him. She carefully pulled them off one at a time. The beeping immediately slowed. She started to remove the IV from his arm when she saw an unused syringe, and looked at her bare arm. With barely a thought, she stuck the needle into her arm and lifted the plunger as it filled with her blood. The beeps were farther apart as she injected the red liquid into the IV bag. In the next moment, Zach flatlined.

"Come on, Zach," she begged quietly. "Don't leave. Please. Come on. Work."

The long beep continued and Claire laid her head on his bare chest and cried tears of defeat.

BEEP!

Claire lifted her head.

BEEP!

His heart was beating.

BEEP!

The burns on his neck closed up leaving perfect skin in their place.

BEEP!

Claire started laughing, almost maniacally.

BEEP!

Zach's eyes shot open and gasped for air. Claire wrapped her arms around his neck. He took several deep breaths as he held onto her.

"What happened?" he asked.

Claire loosened her hold just enough to see his face. "You left me for a minute," she told him.

"Good to be back," he replied.

"Oh. My. God."

Zach and Claire looked over at an agape Dr. Byron. Micah pulled back the curtain and grinned from ear to ear.

"You're alive!" he yelled running to the side of the bed. "They told me you were dead."

Zach hugged his former charge and looked at Claire as he said, "I think I was for a minute there, buddy."

Claire kissed him on the head and whispered, "I'll be right back, okay?"

Zach nodded as Dr. Byron came closer to examine him. Claire stepped out from behind the screen. Her mother immediately hugged her and Claire promised to explain everything later. She walked past Hiro, Mohinder, and Ando, and stopped at the foot of Daphne's bed.

"You brought him back from the dead, didn't you?" Matt asked without looking up.

"Matt, I could—"

"No," he cut her off. "She wouldn't want that." He finally looked up at Claire and continued, "I could hear Zach's thoughts. He was screaming to stay alive. There were just so many things he hadn't said and done. But she was ready to go. She was ready to let me go." He locked eyes with his ex-wife for a split-second. He placed a soft kiss on Daphne's forehead and said goodbye. He turned to the young girl next to him, stroked her hair, and kissed the top of her head. "Take as long as you need." He looked at the other young woman and said, "Don't let too many things go unsaid, Claire."

Janice followed her former husband as he trudged out of the door.

As tears streamed freely down Molly's face, Micah silently stood next to her and took her hand. Claire backed away from them and walked toward the other side of the room. Dr. Byron pulled her aside and said, "How did you do that?"

"My blood can sometimes cure things," she answered. "I've been told it's brought people back from the dead, but I never saw it myself. I'm just glad he's alive."

She walked past him and into her mother's open arms. Sandra hugged her for only a short while before she said, "Go on. Go be with your friend."

Claire smiled as she watched her mother leave. Zach was lying back in the bed. All of the monitors and tubes had been disconnected. He looked over at her and smiled weakly.

"You look about as tired as I feel," he told her.

Claire thought about it as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "I don't think I've slept in over a day. I didn't feel tired until you said something," she teased as she stretched out and rested her head next to his.

"You would have felt it eventually," he informed her, moving over slightly to give her room.

"Well, you have more of an excuse," she told him. "You nearly died."

He turned his head to look her straight in the eye and said, "I did die, didn't I, Claire?"

"Yes," she answered in a whisper.

"There was blood in the IV. It was your blood, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I've lost you as my friend before," she answered, wrapping one of her hands around one of his. "I couldn't lose you forever."

He laced his fingers through hers and kissed the back of her hand. "Thanks," he said softly.

"You're welcome," she replied before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

"You should eat something," Peter said, pushing a sandwich toward Elie.

"I don't really have an appetite right now," she replied, holding onto her stomach.

"Sorry about that," he said, half-smiling and staring at his shoes in embarrassment.

"It's not your fault," Elie told him, resting a hand on the side of his face. "Well, not entirely your fault."

Peter chuckled and kissed the palm of her hand. She slowly ran her thumb along the new mark on his face. He flinched slightly and closed his eyes.

"Does it hurt?" she asked, removing her hand from his face.

"No," he answered quietly. "I've known it was coming for a long time, I just didn't _see_ it coming. I haven't even looked in the mirror yet. Not sure I want to."

"It's not that bad," she assured him. "It makes you look…"

"Dangerous?" Peter suggested.

"Older," Elie finished.

"Thanks," Peter replied sarcastically.

She took his hand and said, "No one will ever accuse you of being naïve or overly idealistic ever again."

He turned his head to look at her. "I'm not sure that's a good thing, Elie. I've seen what I could become, and I don't like it. I'd really like to be the guy jumping off of playground equipment attempting to fly again."

"I don't think he ever went away, Peter."

"How do you figure?"

"In all of this, you've done what you could to protect your brother when he was obviously not interested in protecting you," she told him. "Only a bright-eyed young man jumping off the monkey bars would do something like that."

Peter smiled and said, "I knew there was a reason I love you. Washington hasn't kept you from seeing the best in people."

"There's always good in the world. Sometimes you just have to look for it," she explained, resting her head on his chest.

"Elie," Peter began a few moments later, "do you think I could be a good father?"

"Why do you even have to ask?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Well, it's not like I actually had the greatest parents in the world," Peter replied. "They chose favorites, pitted us against each other, tried to kill one another, wanted to blow up New York, and lied…_a lot_."

Elie shook her head. "I'm not really like either of my parents and neither are you," she told him. "You're not a cheap knock-off of your father. And you are going to be an amazing dad to our little girl."

"And with advice like that, you're going to be a great mom," he told her, smiling.

They heard the door open and looked up to see Nathan walking in with a dazed expression.

"Nathan!" Peter called him over to the table.

As the elder Petrelli brother walked over, Angela, Noah, and several others followed. Nathan sat down and without thinking took a bite from Elie's sandwich.

"Nathan!" his former wife admonished.

"I'm sorry, were you eating this," Nathan asked his secretary.

"Nope, go ahead."

Peter rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Who was on the phone, Nathan?" the Petrelli matriarch asked. "You were gone for nearly an hour."

Nathan swallowed another bite of the sandwich and said, "It was the president."

Peter's eyes widened. "How did he know where to find you?"

"Apparently, my aides got an email saying I was coming here to relax for a couple of days. When the president called my office, that's what they told him. I wasn't in my room here at the Greenbrier, so they paged me."

"Why did the president call you in the first place?" Elie asked him.

"An anonymous source sent the White House evidence that makes Danko look like a traitor," Nathan explained. "They've got signed orders from him to crash the plane. There's evidence that he stole my approval codes to practice summary executions and human testing. It's all been hung on Danko's head and I don't know how."

Peter glanced over and saw Micah sitting on Molly's bunk holding her hand. He looked back at his brother and said, "I don't know how he did it, but that's the kid you should thank over there."

"What's going to happen to Danko?" Noah asked. "Is the president sending men to arrest him?"

Nathan rubbed the back of his neck as he shook his head. "Danko called in a very old favor and is fortifying his position with Army reserve units. The president's preparing to send in Marines, but he wants me to try and stop this before it has to go that far."

"How did he get the idea you could do that?" Peter asked him sarcastically.

"I told him I could," Nathan answered, "with my family's help. The president doesn't know this, but when I said family, I meant all of us. Mom's right. We're all connected. And I know this is _my_ problem, but I can't fix it alone."

A long silence fell over all of them. Claude finally said, "Can your president wait until morning? If I do anymore runnin' tonight I'm goin' to fall apart."

Nathan chuckled lightly. "Yeah, we have a few hours before the reserve units arrive at VMI."

"Then I'm going to bed."

"That's a good idea," Angela agreed. "We should all try to get some sleep before walking into another battle."

They all split off in opposite directions. Peter led Elie by the hand to one of the private rooms. Heidi stepped in front of her ex-husband, blocking his escape.

"You're going to tell me everything, Nathan."

"I did once. You didn't believe me."

She pursed her lips angrily then replied, "Now I'm a believer, Nathan. So talk."

"Sit down. This will take a while."

* * *

"What are you doing, Janice? You haven't been more than a few feet away from me since you've been here."

"I don't know anyone else," she replied, sitting next to him on his bunk. "Besides, Matty cries when you're not around. He likes you."

Matt kissed his son's head and gently stroked his thin hair. "You named him after me, Janice. Why'd you do that?"

She looked at her son and said, "I hoped he would be as…good as his father. And he hasn't disappointed me."

Little Matt reached out for his father and Matt obliged, taking him from Janice. He smiled, though any adult could tell it was forced for the sake of his son.

"I think he misses her," Janice said quietly.

"Probably," Matt answered. "They liked each other almost immediately."

"She was a hero," Janice said, barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, she was."

Neither of them really noticed their joined hands resting on the bed between them.

* * *

"How are you feeling?"

"Better. No headache," Hiro answered.

"Good," Mohinder said. "You haven't tried to stop time or anything, have you?"

"No. Should I?" Hiro asked, clearly excited at the prospect.

"No, Hiro, I don't think you should," Mohinder told him. "I don't know if this is a cure or just a band-aid. If you try to stop time again and this hasn't worked, you could have a cerebral hemorrhage and die in seconds."

"But, I must fulfill my destiny," Hiro told him.

"Hiro," Mohinder began, sighing deeply and setting his clipboard aside, "I once thought that having abilities was my destiny; that the only way to truly help was to be special. But I was wrong. I did more harm than good with my abilities. I lost myself in them. We don't need your abilities, Hiro. We need _you_. You're the best of us."

"You sink so?"

Mohinder smiled kindly. "I _know_ so. Get some rest, okay?"

Hiro nodded, just slightly sad and laid back in the bed.

* * *

"So…Peter and Elie are having a baby?"

Nathan laughed and shook his head. "I tell you every crazy, insane thing that's happened over the last two years and what you take away from it is that my brother is having a kid?"

"Well that's the best thing you've told me," Heidi replied. "It seems like yesterday, we were getting married and Peter was just a kid himself."

"He's still a kid," Nathan muttered.

"Stop belittling him," Heidi said forcefully. "He's a better man than you. He always has been, and at the rate you're going, he always will be."

Nathan looked down at his shoes. Heidi sighed regretfully and said, "I'm sorry. That was cruel. If you never did the right thing you wouldn't be here right now. So…you weren't actually born with abilities?"

"No," he answered, finally looking up. "I don't know how many of us there are, but me, Tracy Strauss, and probably her biological sister Niki were all given a formula when we were infants."

"And you slept with both of those women, right?"

"Yes," Nathan replied, his face reddening.

Heidi grinned at her ex-husband's embarrassment. "And what can Claire's mom do?"

"Could," Nathan corrected. "What could she do. Meredith's dead. She was another one of Sylar's victims. She was a fire starter. She could generate flames from her hands and she could never get burned. Her brother was the same, he just wasn't nearly as responsible about it."

"So…Claire gets is from both sides of her family, and Monty just gets it from your side?"

"I don't know. Do have any flying men or telepaths hidden in your family closet?"

Heidi laughed and answered, "My great-grandmother was a fortune-teller in a travelling show. That's about it. Will Simon—"

"I don't know. I wasn't born with abilities and Peter was," he explained. "It's possible Simon might just be…normal."

Heidi reached across the table and covered Nathan's hand with her own. "There's no such thing as normal in this family."

"Nope," Nathan agreed. "No such thing."

"Nathan."

They looked over at Angela and her sober expression. "It's time."

* * *

A/N: This is mostly a transitional chapter, so there's a lot of talk. More action in the next chapter. And apologies to anyone who doesn't like my Clach shipping, but I was a Clach shipper before I really knew what shipping was. Thanks for reading.


	22. Chapter 22: No Surrender

"I'm coming with you, Peter."

"No, you're not," he told her firmly as he pulled his shirt over his head.

"Peter, my father is there. I can help you," Elie protested.

"No!" he shouted, turning around on the bed. Elie jumped back in surprise.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you," Peter said as stretched out a hand and pulled her close until their foreheads were touching. "I've watched you die in my arms every time I've closed my eyes for weeks, and I can't let that happen. I don't want to live my life without you."

Elie laid a hand on either side of his face and kissed him softly as a tear slid down her cheek. "You bring him back to me, Peter," she told him. "I want him to see his granddaughter."

"He will. I promise."

* * *

"Claire. Claire, wake up."

"What?" she asked, looking groggily up at Mohinder.

"Your…fathers are looking for you," he explained. "It's probably a good thing I got here first."

Claire rolled her eyes and hopped off the bed as Zach slowly stirred to consciousness. "What's going on?" he asked, sitting up on his elbows.

"Not sure. My dads want to see me," she said as she retied her ponytail.

"Throw me that shirt, will ya?" he asked, throwing off the covers and sitting up. "I'll come with you. I'm sick of being in the dark all the time."

"I know what you mean," Claire said as she handed him a white t-shirt. "My dad tried to keep me in the dark my entire life."

Zach laughed as he pulled on the shirt and stood up. "As I recall, I didn't work out too well for him."

"No," Claire agreed, smiling, "no, it didn't."

* * *

"Anyone who wants to come can," Nathan said, standing on a chair addressing everyone in the bunker. "You'll join the forces at VMI in case I fail with Danko. We roll in ten."

Nathan stepped down as the room filled with the noise of conversation. Peter looked at him sternly and said, "You don't actually think you're going to see Danko alone, do you?"

"It's the only way, Pete."

"You'll get killed. I'm coming with you."

"Peter, you—"

"This isn't a discussion," Peter cut him off. "Look, as selfish and as terrible as you've been to me all my life, you were always there for me when I screwed up. It's my turn."

Nathan held his hands up in surrender. "Fine. We'll do it your way."

"Claire's here," Peter told him. "If you're going to talk to her, you better do it now."

Nathan nodded and motioned Noah over as he walked over to his daughter and her friend, Zach. She looked at them and said, "Mohinder said you wanted to see me."

"Yeah," Nathan began, "no matter what happens in Lexington, this ends today, Claire. Danko's probably not going to make that easy. We need to get these people out of here before any more of them get killed."

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked.

"Claire, we want you to be in charge of the evacuation," Noah explained.

"Me?" she asked, surprised. "Alone?"

"You've more than proven yourself over the last few weeks," Noah told her. "I'm proud of you, Clairebear."

"Besides, Zach can help," Nathan said, acknowledging the young man's presence for the first time. "It's 'one of us, one of them' right? He's one of them."

"Or us, depending on your perspective," Zach muttered.

"Could you give us a minute?" Nathan asked, looking quickly from Noah to Zach. When they walked away he said, "I've never really been a good father, Claire. Not even to the kids that grew up with me. I certainly haven't been there for you, and I could do better. I should do better. I know I don't deserve it, but do you think you could ever give me another chance?"

Claire looked up at her father and said, "Peter always gives you another chance because you're his brother and he loves you. You're my father and I love you, and I'll always give you another chance. I think it's like a biological imperative, or something."

Nathan smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, Claire."

"I love you, too, Dad."

* * *

"That's just…weird."

"I've seen weirder stuff than my mom having an identical twin," Micah told his cousin, Monica.

"I just want this to all be over, so we can go back to our normal lives."

Micah smiled at her. "No such thing as normal," he replied. "I like life better like this, anyway."

"You do?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Micah answered, smiling as he packed his backpack. "I know this isn't the life my parents gave their lives for me to have, but I wouldn't trade it the whole world on a silver platter. Look around, Monica. Look at all these amazing people. Mom and Dad were scared of their abilities because they thought they were alone. They're both gone now, but I'm not alone. I'm connected to everyone here, and so are you."

Her gaze toward him narrowed. "Why are you packing your bag? You don't actually think you're going with these fool people, do you?"

"No, but we're probably going to move before the end of the day," Micah explained. "I want to have my stuff together so I can help the others."

"You mean so you can help that cute, sad, little girl who just lost her…mom?" Monica said, moving to sit on Micah's bunk.

"Daphne was more like a sister," he answered gravely, "but she knows how it hurt Matt, and he is her father."

"Your mom and dad would be so proud of you, Micah," she told him. "I know I am."

* * *

"Matt, this is dangerous. You could get hurt."

"I was a cop, Jan. You didn't seem to worry then."

"These aren't criminals, Matt," Janice argued, bouncing their son lightly to calm him. "These are self-righteous soldiers, and they want all of you dead."

"That's why I have to do this," he replied as he pulled on his jacket. "Nobody else needs to die."

"Please," she pleaded softly.

"I'm sorry, Janice, but you don't have the right to ask me that anymore," Matt answered flatly before kissing the top of his son's head.

He stopped at Molly's bunk and kissed her lightly. "I love you, Molly. I'll be back soon."

"Please don't go," she whispered.

"I have to."

"No, you don't. Matt, please."

"I'm sorry, Molly," he said before walking away

"Matt. Matt!" she called after him, standing up. "Dad! Don't go, please!"

Matt was frozen in place as Molly held onto him for dear life and cried into his shirt. Janice slowly joined them as little Matt's whimpers became less and less.

"You're right, Matt. I lost the right to ask you to stay a long time ago," Janice began, "but she has every right. I don't have to read your mind to know all you ever wanted was a family. You've got one. Stay here and take care of them."

Matt nodded as a tear slid down his cheek. He wrapped his arms around his family and said, "Okay. Okay, I'm staying."

* * *

"You coming, Tracy?" Nathan asked her.

"I'm not risking my neck for you," she told him bitterly as she zipped up a hoodie stolen from the hotel. "I'm staying here, and when this is all over, I'm going to help you clean up this whole damn mess and then you'll never see me again. Understand?"

"Perfectly," he answered. "But I have to tell you, my operation is going to change substantially, but it's not going away. If you use your ability to take out people who get in your way, I'll throw you _under_ Building 26. Understand?"

"What do you think I am? A monster?"

"Yeah," Nathan answered. "The same one I see in the mirror."

* * *

"I must go with them, Hiro," Ando explained reluctantly. "They will need my help."

"I understand, Ando," Hiro replied. "Is time for you to be hero now. I will stay and help the cheerleader."

The friends bowed to one another in a long overdue sign of mutual respect.

* * *

"Mohinder, you don't have to go."

"Molly, I'm not like Matt," he explained. "I did some horrible things when you weren't with me. I have to make amends."

"That's what Daphne was trying to do," she said sadly.

"I will always be there for you, Molly," he promised. "Always. I'll be back when this is over."

She nodded and hugged him around the waist. Matt came up from behind her and extended his hand to the other man. "Hurry back, Mohinder."

"I will," he answered, firmly shaking Matt's hand.

* * *

"I suppose I can't talk you out of this nonsense, can I?" Sandra asked her husband.

"Not a chance," Noah answered. "We can end this today."

Sandra scoffed. "Yeah, you'll end _this_ and then some other insanity will come up that puts our whole family in danger again. I'm not sure I can keep living like this, Noah."

"Sandra, what are you saying?"

"I'm not saying anything, but if you come back from this, we need to have a serious talk."

He kissed her and said, "Claire will take care of you for now. I'll be back soon."

Sandra shook her head doubtfully as she watched her husband walk away.

* * *

Peter kissed Elie one last time before he followed his brother out of the door. Claire stood with Elie and Angela as they watched a dozen people follow the Petrellis to an uncertain fate.

* * *

"What's your plan, Claire?" Matt asked her.

"Well," she began, "I thought that instead of waiting for someone to come and attack us, we should leave before they get here."

"And go where exactly?" Angela asked her.

"I don't know, but we can't stay here," Claire insisted. "There's only one way out of here and if somebody comes through that door, it'll be a shooting gallery in here."

"She has a point," Matt agreed.

"I have an idea," Micah said as he joined them. "Well, actually, it was Simon's idea, but it's totally genius."

Simon waved at them proudly.

"What's your plan?" Claire asked him.

"We're underneath a five-star hotel," the boy began. "We haven't ordered room service and I think it's about time we started."

Claire smiled crookedly. "What do you need to make it happen?"

"I've already told the computers the rooms are paid for, I just need to get behind the counter to make key cards."

"Matt, you think you could handle that?"

"Absolutely. Come on, Micah, let's go."

Claire stood up on a chair and announced, "Everyone get your things together. We'll be moving you out of here soon."

As people started milling around, Claire stepped off the chair and her grandmother said, "You know _this_ is the first place they'll come."

"And we'll be ready for them," Claire replied. "For anyone without an offensive ability, we have the guns we got off of those agents last night."

"You really think you're ready for this?"

Claire turned around and faced her. "I'm your granddaughter, aren't I?"

Angela smiled. "That you are."

* * *

The sun was coming up behind them as the Petrelli brothers landed next to a tent Danko was using as his command post. They were invisible with their arms over each other's shoulders. They crept inside. Danko was discussing a plan with one of the reserve commanders. They were about to charge the campus in full force. Nathan nodded at his brother, and said, "It's over, Danko."

"What the—"

Peter moved away from his brother and Nathan appeared to the others, smirking his arrogant Petrelli smile.

"Invisibility, huh?" Danko asked sarcastically. "So that was your thing. I knew you had to have something."

"Actually, it's one of my brother's things," Nathan answered, his hands in his pockets.

An invisible force shoved Danko's head down, and Peter appeared. The other military men jumped at young man's sudden appearance. Danko laughed harshly.

"Not as pretty as you used to be, Petrelli," he teased. "You know this is all just proving my point?"

"Really?" Nathan asked. "Because I'm not the one ready to storm a campus of nineteen-year-olds."

"I know what they're hiding," Danko replied, struggling uselessly against Peter. "You started this, Petrelli, and it ends today."

"You're right," Nathan said, squatting down to be eye level with Danko. "It is ending today. You can call it off right now, or the Marines are going to come in here and end it for you."

"You're full of shit. You know that?"

"Not this time," Peter told him, "and if you go in there, you're going to get a very bad surprise."

Nathan stood erect and faced the commanders around him. "What do you say?" he asked them. "Are you gonna kill a United States senator and a bunch of innocent cadets, or are you going to walk away and save your own lives today?"

"We have our orders, Sir."

"Are you going to blindly follow orders or are you going to do what's right?"

"We've acquired the target. Preparing to take the shot," a voice said over the radio.

Danko laughed. Peter pressed him harder and said, "Who's the target?"

"The ringleader."

"Danko, don't—"

A single rifle shot rang out leaving a deadly silence behind. The voice on the radio interrupted, "Target is down."

Peter grabbed Danko by the shoulders and slammed him down on the table back first. "Who the hell did you just shoot?"

Everyone instinctively ducked as gunfire rang out all around them. Nathan grabbed the reservist commander and yelled, "Are you gonna destroy some of the next great leaders of our military like that bastard over there, or are you going to stop this before anyone else has to die?"

The commander grabbed the nearest radio and said, "All reserve units cease fire and fall back! This is code omega! All reserve units cease fire and fall back!"

Nathan took the radio and tossed it to his brother. With one hand still on Danko's throat, Peter tuned the handset to Noah's frequency and said, "Call them off, Bennet. It's over."

Moments later, all the shooting stopped. Shouted orders replaced it as the only noise around. Noah's voice intruded, "Jason Barnes is dead. Killed by a sniper."

"Son of a bitch!" Peter shouted before pounding his fist into Danko's face.

"Peter!" Nathan yelled, catching his brother's arm before he could strike again.

The younger Petrelli shook off his brother's hand. "He was just trying to help us. He was just trying to help Elie."

Danko guffawed and said, "No one's going to be helping her much longer."

Nathan grabbed the smaller man's collar and hauled him to his feet. "What did you do?"

"You didn't think he just gave up and ran away, did you?" Danko asked the brothers. "And you left an all-you-can-eat buffet almost completely unprotected."

"Holy God," Peter breathed in shock.

"Go, Peter. You're the only one that can stop him," his brother told him.

Peter dashed out of the tent and leapt into the air almost faster than the eye could see.

* * *

"Lyle, you shouldn't be here," Claire told him. "It's not safe for you."

"It's one of us, one of them, right? From what I see, you've got one of us, and three of them," he replied. "You're short in the us department."

She stared blankly as her brother picked up one of the shotguns they took off the captured agents. "Do you even know how that thing works?" she asked him.

"Claire," he began incredulously, "I spent most of my life in _Texas_. What do you think?"

She rolled her eyes as she heard her name shouted frantically from the surveillance room. She and Lyle raced down the hall, and all remaining air evacuated her lungs when she saw what Zach was yelling about.

"We have to get Elie out of here," she said.

"It's too late," Zach said as he stood and pumped the action on his shotgun. "He's blocking our only path out of here."

"What's going on?" Tracy asked as the trio marched into the main room.

"Sylar's coming," Claire answered, taking aim at the closed door. "Bring him down and aim for the back of his head. It's they only way."

* * *

A/N: Okay, so that wasn't as action-packed as I promised, but I hope it was suspenseful. R & R


	23. Chapter 23: Archangel

A/N: Wow, this is one of my shorter chapters is probably also one of the last. I'll actually finish this before the next Volume begins. Hooray for me! Thanks to everyone for reading!

* * *

Monty dropped the brownie he'd just ordered from room service. His mother and grandmother looked up at him in concern.

"What is it, sweetheart?" his mother asked.

"Sylar is here. I hear him."

Angela's fork clattered to her plate. "Where is he?"

"Downstairs," Monty answered. "We have to help Claire!"

His grandmother caught him and held him back. "You can't do anything. You'll just get killed."

"Who's Sylar?" Simon's little voice asked.

"The Bogeyman," Monty answered.

"We can't just leave Claire and Elie down there," Heidi pleaded.

"It will be all right," Angela promised. "Help is coming."

* * *

The massive metal door creaked and groaned. Four of the five people on one side of the door held their firearms at the ready. Frost floated off the hands of the fifth.

"Hey, don't you have an ability?" Lyle asked Elie. "Why do you have a gun?"

"Lyle!"

Elie ignored Claire and told her brother, "I use my ability against Sylar and this whole building could come down on top of us."

"Oh. That makes sense."

Elie went back to aiming her pistol at the door as Lyle lifted his shotgun. Claire shook her head in disbelief at her brother. She looked over at Zach and said, "Matt told me he could hear your thoughts when you were dying. He said you regretted things you never got around to. What did you regret?"

Zach lowered the barrel of the gun and answered, "Just normal stuff. You know, not graduating from high school, never making a real film. That kind of thing."

"Oh," Claire answered, slightly deflated. She yelped slightly in surprise as he turned her face with his free hand and kissed her hard on the mouth.

"I regretted not doing that too," he explained reluctantly.

Claire smiled as a tear slid down her face and the sound of groaning metal grew louder. Lyle leaned closer to his sister and said, "I totally saw that coming." She replied with an elbow to his ribs.

"Look alive, love birds," Tracy called out. "He's coming through."

Claire nodded. "A gunshot won't kill him, but it will slow him down so we can get a shot at his head. So give him hell."

The door blew away, sending dust and debris everywhere. They didn't wait for the dust to clear to start shooting. As soon as Tracy caught a glimpse of black hair, she shot a frozen stream toward him. He stopped it with a raised hand and threw her against the wall. Claire grabbed Elie and motioned for the other two to follow her to the kitchen before Sylar could fully recover.

* * *

"We must do what we can to stop Sylar," Hiro commanded. "He is villain. We are heroes."

"What do you suggest?" Matt asked him. "He's too powerful for me to control."

"I can stop time, and—"

"No, Hiro. Mohinder told me you could die if you use your ability. I can't let that happen."

"We must do somesing."

"You want to help, Mr. Nakamura?"

They turned to see Angela Petrelli standing in the open doorway. Hiro bowed briefly and said, "Yes, I do want to help."

"Then get the children out of here," she told him. "Use your ability and take them to my house in upstate New York."

"But I no teleport."

"Yes, you can," Angela corrected. "Go quickly."

Hiro smiled excitedly and ran from the room. Matt looked at Angela dubiously. "You know he could die?"

"Not today," Angela assured him. "I need you to convince the hotel staff to evacuate everyone. If it comes to it, they might have to bring the whole building down to stop Sylar."

"Wonderful," Matt muttered as he stomped past her to the hall.

* * *

"What do we do?" Lyle whispered as he shakily reloaded his shotgun.

"I don't know," Claire answered. "There's no way he'll turn his back on us now."

"There's only one way out of here, Claire," Sylar's voice called out. "You can't win. When I'm done here, I'm going to go upstairs, and become the most powerful man in the world. You'll never be able to stop me. You'll never fulfill your ridiculous vendetta."

"Stay down," Elie whispered before standing to face the killer.

He cocked his head to the side and smirked. "You're not Claire. You must be Peter's little girlfriend. Too bad he's not here to be your hero."

Elie returned his smirk and opened her fist. A concussion wave blew him off his feet, smashed the metal bunks, and put a crack in the wall. Tracy stirred and slowly stood to her feet.

"Let's get out of while he's down," she shouted, moving toward the door.

They started to move when Sylar was suddenly on his feet and froze them in their steps. "Stupid, stupid, stupid. Now you all die."

Before Sylar could make another move, a black blur flew in and threw him to the ground. They rolled a couple of times and Peter was the first on his feet.

"Get them out of here," he ordered Claire.

"Peter, no!" Elie screamed, attempting to run to him.

"Claire, now!"

Claire and Tracy and Zach had to practically drag Elie to get her to move. Sylar laughed as he stood to his feet.

"You shouldn't love her so much, Peter," he advised. "She'll only let you down in the end."

"That's part of being human, Gabriel," Peter replied as they circled one another.

"My name is Sylar," he answered bitterly, "and I'm not human. None of us are. We're better than them."

"You're right. You are better than this."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You saved my life once," Peter explained. "I know there's good in you. It's just easier for you to ignore it."

"Wow," Sylar replied with raised eyebrows. "You really are the idiot brother."

He sent Peter flying into the concrete wall and threw a wave of blue sparks after him. Peter screamed as the wave hit him and pain consumed his body. Sylar paused for just an instant, and Peter sent a stream of blue fire toward the other man. Their burns healed almost instantly and they tackled one another in frustration. The whole area shook with the power emanating from the two men.

* * *

The floor beneath him shook and Matt yelled, "Hurry up, people! We have a national security emergency here."

The guests at the Greenbrier regarded him warily, but didn't question him as he herded them out. He saw Hiro out of the corner of his eye.

"Your family is safe, Parkman," Hiro reported.

"You feeling okay?" Matt asked as he continued toward the door.

"Yes, very good. Look, the cheerleader!"

Matt looked over to see the group from the shelter entering the lobby. Elie was crying fearful tears as Claire and Tracy pulled her along.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Peter's fighting Sylar," Claire answered.

The entire building shook again. "We have to get out of here now," Matt told them. "Hiro—"

But the Japanese man was already gone.

* * *

"You don't have to do this, Gabriel," Peter told him, burning the killer's face with his hand.

"My name is Sylar!" he screamed back, tossing the other man off.

"No! Sylar is just who you think you are. I've seen what you could become. I know you're strong enough to control the hunger."

"You're not my family!" Sylar screamed back, shoving Peter against the wall so hard the concrete cracked. "You know nothing about me!"

"We're all connected, Gabriel," Peter told him. "Are you going to turn your back on that?"

"I have no family," Sylar replied, sending a jolt of electricity through Peter's body. "One father sold me, the other walked out on me. There's no one connected to me and there never will be!"

Peter screamed in agony. His healing ability couldn't keep up with the constant flow of electricity. When Sylar paused in his attack, Peter fell to the floor in a heap. The killer plowed his knee into the other man's chest to pin him in place. He leaned into his face and whispered, "I'm going to take your head off, Peter. There's no coming back from that."

"So because you didn't have a father, you're gonna take my little girl's father from her?" Peter asked drowsily. "It's a little cliché, don't you think?"

Sylar's brow furrowed in confusion. "You don't have a daughter."

"Not yet."

Sylar's entire visage changed. "You're not lying."

"No," Peter replied, sitting up, "and you don't really want to kill me. You don't want to put anyone through what you went through."

Sylar backed away from him. "You're just seeing good in me because it's what you want to see. It's your worst character trait."

"This building is about to collapse on top of us," Peter told him. "We have to leave."

"So you can put me in a cage again? I don't think so."

"Gabriel, we have to go! Now!"

A section of the roof caved in. A large block of concrete pinned Peter's leg to the floor. He fully expected to be buried in the next few moments, but the rain of concrete never came. He looked up to find Sylar holding up the roof like Atlas holding the entire world. A small stream of blood started to trickle out of his nose.

Hiro appeared and knelt next to Peter. "Peter Petrelli, we must go."

"No, we have to help him!" Peter shouted back.

"But he is villain!"

"Go, Peter, get out of here!"

"Gabriel!" Peter yelled before disappearing.

* * *

"No!" Elie screamed as an entire wing of the Greenbrier Hotel collapsed into the ground. Tracy and Claire held her back from their hiding place on the edge of the woods. Claire wrapped her arms around the older woman in what she knew was a vain attempt to comfort her.

Tracy looked around and said, "We're gonna need a damned good story for this one.

Elie turned on her angrily. "Jesus, you really are an ice queen!"

"I'm a realist," Tracy bit back.

"A man is dead!"

"Elie."

She turned to see Peter standing next to a grinning Hiro. His clothes were torn and burned and covered in dried blood. He looked tired, but very much alive. He stepped toward her and said, "It's okay, Elie. I'm here."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him as though she thought he might disappear at any moment. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and breathed her in.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you," he replied.

"Peter, thank God you're okay," Claire said as she wrapped her arms around her uncle's waist. "Thank you for saving him, Hiro."

"It was my honor, cheerleader," he replied.

"You should thank Sylar, too."

Both of the women in Peter's arms looked up at him incredulously. "He held up the roof when he could have let it crush me," he explained. "He saved my life...again."

Claire stared toward the wrecked hotel. "Do you think he's still alive?"

Peter laughed mirthlessly. "Probably."

They heard the tell-tale sound of a flying man landing nearby, and Elie smiled when she saw her father let go of Nathan's shoulders.

"Dad!" she called, running toward him.

Sandra and Angela ran toward the group calling their children's names. Sandra pulled her two children together and told Lyle he was in a lot of trouble. Seeing Zach standing alone, she drew him into the hug as well. Angela smiled at her two boys, a genuine smile.

"I'm proud of you," she told them. "Both of you."

Peter ignored his mother as he heard Elie crying. He wrapped his arms around her and fell to the grass with her as her body shook with sobs.

"Her dad must've told her about Barnes," Nathan mused. "Where are Heidi and the kids?"

"They're safe," Angela answered. "They're all at my house."

Nathan moved to stand next to Tracy. His eyes widened and he sighed deeply as he took in the full extent of the damage. "How the hell are we going to explain this?"

"I convinced the hotel staff I was with DHS and there was a national security emergency so we could evacuate the hotel," Matt said, joining them.

"That's a good place to start," Tracy said. "We can hang it on Danko's head. Micah's already done most of our work for us. Oh, and your psycho-killer friend is down there somewhere."

Matt and Nathan looked at each other knowingly. "We'll get our own team to clean up before the Greenbrier calls a contractor," Nathan said. "You know this was a federally protected historical site?"

Tracy shrugged. "We'll figure something out for that too."

* * *

A/N: You might have noticed that Sylar has been conspicuously absent for most of this fic. That's partially because I was focusing on the Petrellis and Sylar was off doing his own thing for most of the fourth volume and partially b/c writing Sylar well frankly frightens me. I never intended to have a showdown between Sylar and Peter, but as soon as Sylar entered the story, that seemed like the most natural thing to do. I can see Peter trying to appeal to the better angels of his nature (and we all know they actually exist somewhere) and even succeeding to a point, but I'd like to know what you thought of that whole conflict. So read and review. Thanks!


	24. Chapter 24: Reconstruction

A/N: I had this noble idea to finish this fic before the next volume started. That didn't happen. I'm really impressed with the beginning of Volume 5, although I was shocked Sendhil Ramamurthy left the show. I would have taken money on Zachary Quinto leaving the show, so I was a little shocked. And I would totally love to know what happened to his character, Suresh. This is like the longest chapter I've ever written for anything, and it's still not the end. Only one more chapter. I promise. Thanks for reading!

* * *

_One week later…_

"I can't believe they never found a body."

"I wouldn't believe it if they did," Peter told his brother as they walked through the rubble. A glint in the rocks caught his eye and he knelt down to pick it up.

"What'd you find?" Nathan asked him.

Peter held up the broken watch with the word "SYLAR" printed on the face. "I really wish I knew what this meant," he said. "He's either going to change his ways or become ten times worse."

"I guess we'll find out if people start showing up with missing brains," Nathan said, briefly examining the watch before handing it back to Peter. "You'll probably have to help Noah bring him in if it ever comes to that."

"So Bennet agreed to run the new operation?"

"Not yet. He wanted to talk to his family about it first."

"Good idea," Peter replied. "He's left his family in the dark too much in his career."

Nathan nodded as they flew out of the pit in the ground. He turned to his brother and asked, "How did you ask Elie to marry you, anyway?"

"I didn't," Peter answered. "She asked me. Well, told is more like it."

Nathan nearly doubled over laughing as he turned to face his brother.

"What?"

"Ah, Pete, it's just like you to be totally whipped by a woman."

"I am not whipped."

"Yes, you are," Nathan answered, finally calm. "Did you get her a ring?"

"She said she didn't want one."

"She was lying. Get the girl a ring."

"What do you know?"

"I've been married before, Pete."

"And that worked out _so_ well."

"Oh, you're totally asking for it," Nathan told him before putting his little brother in a headlock.

They barely wrestled for a few minutes before they heard their mother yelling, "Boys! This is _not _the time!"

"Sorry," the brothers called back in unison.

"The press is ready for you, Nathan."

They solemnly marched into the main ballroom of the Greenbrier Hotel, one of the few completely undamaged rooms. Everyone stood as the senator walked in behind his mother and brother. Peter took a place between Claire and Elie while Angela stood next to Heidi and the boys. Tracy stood off to the side with Matt and Noah. Mohinder, Ando, Hiro, Janice and many of the others sat inconspicuously in the back behind the legion of reporters. Nathan took a deep breath and stepped up to the podium.

"Good afternoon," he began. "As the junior senator from New York, it has always been my desire to protect the people of this country. I originated a taskforce to root out terrorists, but things went horribly awry. I put my faith in one man because of his record. He betrayed me, and many members of this country. Two cadets from Virginia Military Institute lost their lives defending true justice in this country. Josiah Jordan Gregory and Jason Andrew Barnes have been posthumously awarded their commissions and will be buried with full honors at Arlington National Cemetery. Daphne Millbrook and Robert Bartholomew, two civilians, also lost their lives to Emile Danko's paranoid rampage. Even the historic Greenbrier Hotel in which we stand fell victim to his determination to hunt down innocent Americans. Over zealousness turned the soldier into the terrorist. Understand, the original purpose of our operation still exists. The American people are still under threat, and their government will not leave them unprotected. Under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security, a civilian-led operation will protect the average citizen from unseen dangers." Nathan paused for a moment and looked back toward his brother.

He continued, "We are all connected. We are all human, no matter our differences. If we forget that, a part of us dies. Over the last few weeks, I nearly lost everything that mattered in my life. No longer am I willing to do 'whatever it takes' regardless of the consequences. We must always remember our foundations. I owe my survival of this operation to my family: my beautiful daughter, Claire, my amazing boys, Monty and Simon, my future sister-in-law, Elie Costantin, and especially my brother, Peter. He is my conscience and I wouldn't be here without him. I, uh, I guess we'll open the floor up for questions now."

Nathan answered most questions with, "The details are classified in the interest of national security." One enterprising reporter asked him who he liked for the Series even though the season just started.

The senator laughed and said, "The Yankees, of course. I am a native New Yorker after all."

"Senator Petrelli," a young, female reporter began, "have the events of the last few weeks encouraged you to acknowledge your illegitimate daughter?"

Nathan's gaze narrowed angrily toward the young woman. Claire touched his hand and asked, "Can I say something?"

"Sure," he answered, backing up for her.

Claire adjusted the mike and said, "My father is not a perfect man. Sometimes, he makes bad decisions, but he always tries to fix them in the end. He knew I existed, but he also thought I died in a fire as an infant. He didn't even know I was still alive until two years ago. And not even in his darkest moments—and there have been plenty—has Nathan Petrelli rejected me as his daughter. Please don't judge him on the basis of a single mistake."

Nathan took her hand and said, "You're a lot of things, Claire, but a mistake isn't one of them." He looked back at the crowd. "I think we're finished for the afternoon. Any more questions can be forwarded to my office."

He walked off the stage holding his daughter's hand and with his friends and family surrounding him.

* * *

"Is this for real?" Monica asked, examining the letter Angela Petrelli had just given her.

"It most certainly is," the older woman replied. "The Charles Deveaux Educational Foundation is a legitimate charity whose secret purpose is to help underprivileged and deserving young people with abilities get a proper education. At Tulane, you'll receive a world-class education and still be able to take care of your brother and grandmother."

"I-I don't know what to say," Monica stammered. "College has always been my dream."

"It's been my experience that dreams come true more often than not," Angela replied, smiling slightly.

"I need to call my grandmother," Monica said before running off.

* * *

"So, I guess you'll be wanting to head back to L.A. sometime this week, huh?" Matt asked as he and Janice sat down in a swing in the backyard of the Petrelli estate while the kids played a few yards away.

"Well, I was going to talk to you about that," she replied. "I, uh…wow, this is really hard to say."

"Would you rather I just read your thoughts?" Matt asked, half joking.

"No," she answered, rolling her eyes. "Matt, our son should have his father, and Molly is growing up, and she's going to need something more than "my two dads" as she gets older."

"What are you saying, Jan?"

She sighed and said, "I gave up on you, Matt. I know that you just lost a woman you loved, and I don't really deserve another chance, but I—"

Tears choked off the rest of her words as Matt drew her into a hug. "Hey, it's okay, Jan. Where would any of us be without second, and third, and fourth chances?"

* * *

"Wow," Sandra said, sitting back in an armchair in one of the Petrellis' living rooms.

"What?" Noah asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Honestly, I can't believe you're actually askin' me before you just pick us all up and move across the country," she answered.

"Well, we're a family," he began. "Families are supposed to decide things together. I haven't been real good about that, and, you know, better late than never."

Sandra wrapped her hand around her husband's and said, "Thank you for asking."

"Do you have an answer?" Noah asked her reluctantly.

"Well, we haven't lived on the east coast for a while, and we'd be closer to Claire. Not to mention the fact that it's a huge opportunity for you."

"Is that a yes?"

She smiled. "Yes, Noah. That's a yes."

* * *

"Zach," Claire began as the two of them walked around the edges of the yard, "I just wanted you to know that, when you kissed me, I know that it was the in the heat of the moment, and that you thought we were about to die, and that you probably didn't mean it, and I want you know that I understand and I won't be angry with you. You're my friend and I'll always care about you, no matter what."

Zach blinked. "Claire," he said slowly, "yes, I kissed you _at that moment _because I thought we were about to die, and I hadn't done it when I knew I should have. I'd died once, and didn't want to keep living with regrets. So I took a leap. I'm sorry if you didn't want to jump with me."

Claire caught his arm and said, "I'm always ready to jump, Zach."

He smirked and hesitantly moved in to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he held onto her waist with one hand and tangled his hand in his hair with the other. The broke apart as water sprayed down, drenching them. Micah, Molly, Monty, and some of the other children doubled over laughing at them. The couple just rolled their eyes before continuing their previous activity.

* * *

"Please tell me you're planning on finding a larger apartment?" Mohinder asked Matt. "Our place in Brooklyn wasn't really big enough for me, you, and Molly. It's certainly not going to be big enough for your entire growing family."

"It's only temporary until Jan and I get our job situations settled," Matt explained. "Then we'll figure out what we can afford and probably try to find a house somewhere with good schools."

"What do you mean by 'job situations'?" Mohinder asked as he sipped his drink.

"Well, Jan already has offers from a few law firms downtown, and Nathan has kind of given me two options."

"Which are?"

"He'll either help me get my shield back with the NYPD, or…he'll have me run the New York office of his new Company or whatever they're calling it now," Matt answered, drumming his fingers on the arm of the couch.

"You have a family, Matt. Go back with the NYPD. It'll be safer."

Matt cocked an eyebrow. "You think drug dealers and murderers are safer than people like us?"

"People like us could be like Sylar or the Petrellis," Mohinder said. "I'm not sure which is worse."

Matt couldn't help but laugh. "Well, that's true."

"Matt, think about this," Mohinder began. "Do you really want to work for people that kidnap others, imprison them, and use them as guinea pigs?"

"It's not going to be like that anymore," Matt answered quickly. "No more bag-and-tag. We're going to knock on doors, offer help, counseling, support, and if they're a danger to others, or themselves, we bring them in, whether they want to, or not. Besides, I heard _you're_ working for them."

"As a scientist, not an agent, or whatever they're calling it," Mohinder argued. "Matt, all you've ever wanted is a normal life with your family. You've got that. Why would you want to risk it with all of this…insanity?"

Matt chuckled and replied, "You know, whenever I've tried to live a normal life, 'this insanity' always intrudes. Maybe I should be ready for it instead of letting it fall into my lap and ruin my life."

"Just…consider what you want very, very carefully," Mohinder told him.

"Yes, Dad, I will," Matt answered sarcastically.

* * *

"So, Tulane, huh?"

"Yeah, Micah, isn't it great?" Monica asked him. "I get to go to college, and we can all be together."

"That's great."

"It doesn't sound great," she told him. "What's wrong?"

"I just…I, uh, don't really want to go back to New Orleans," he answered.

"Why?"

"Just…a lot of bad memories," Micah answered. "I was sort of wanting to start over. Maybe reinvent myself."

Monica rested her hands on her hips and said, "You are twelve-years-old. You're way too young to be talking like that."

"I'm an exceptional twelve-year-old," he replied. "I've had to grow up fast."

"Micah, Nana's your legal guardian," she pointed out. "What do you think you're going to do? Who are you going to live with? I hate to be like this, but, Micah, you don't really have a choice. You're coming back to New Orleans with me."

"Hey."

They turned to see Zach lightly rapping on the open door.

"You are dripping all over the old lady's genuine wood floors," Monica told him.

Zach looked directly at Micah and said, "Yes, I am."

Micah shook his head and smiled sheepishly. Zach continued, "I was on my way to dry off, and I heard you talking. I don't think Micah should go back to New Orleans with you."

"I'm sorry—Zach, was it?—but you don't really get a vote," Monica told him. "This is a family discussion."

She started to close the door, and Zach stopped it with a hand and strode into the room.

"I'm the only family Micah had for weeks."

"That's not my fault."

"No, it isn't, but I probably know Micah better than you do," Zach told her angrily. "He is smarter and more resilient than men three times his age. He belongs some place he can make a difference."

"He can make a difference in New Orleans!"

"Where his mother died? Yeah, he really wants to go back to that."

"Hey!"

Their heads whipped toward Micah. "I'm standing right here. Maybe I'm only twelve, but I'm not some innocent kid. I can figure things out for myself and I don't need you—either of you—to make my decisions for me."

He stomped past them, and down the stairs.

* * *

Elie pushed him down on the bed and climbed on top of him, a knee on either side of his torso. She ripped open his shirt and bit into his clavicle.

"Hey, hey," Peter said, gently grabbing hold of her shoulders and pushing her away. "What is going on with you? I mean, not that I mind, but this is just not like you. What's wrong?"

She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She got off of him and collapsed next to him.

"Talk to me," he asked her.

"Can't you just take it out of my head?"

"I could, but I'm not going to," he replied. "Elie, talk to me."

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and said, "Are you just marrying me because I'm pregnant, and I told you we should?"

Peter sat up on his elbows and replied, "Where the hell did you get that idea?"

"I-I don't know," she answered, sitting up sheepishly. "It's just that everything could fall apart at any moment and some things, maybe they should fall apart, and I'm pushing you and I didn't stop to ask you and—"

"Elie, Elie," he interrupted, a hand on either side of her face, "this is probably going to sound patronizing and a little chauvinistic, but you're pregnant."

"Thank you, Peter. I had been told that," she replied sarcastically.

He smiled, kissed the bridge of her nose and said, "Your hormones are going crazy and you're not seeing things the way they really are."

"And when were you pregnant?"

"Uh, never," he answered, "but I did go to nursing school."

"You're probably right."

"Yes, I am," he told her, kissing her softly. "And I have something for you."

He slid off the end of the bed, took her hands and turned her until her legs dangled off the side of the bed. Her hands still in his, he got down on one knee.

"Elie," he began, "I remember walking around the corner of this house, and seeing the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, waking or asleep. You are literally everything I ever dreamed of, and more. I want to spend the rest of my life with you whether that's next fifty minutes or the next fifty years." He produced a ring from his pocket and said, "Marry me."

She laughed as tears slid down her cheeks. "Yes," she replied as Peter slid the ring onto her left hand. It was a simple, white gold band and heart-shaped diamond. It wasn't extravagant, but it was still beautiful.

"How did you get this? _When_ did you get this?" she asked him.

"Oh, I can stop time and teleport now," he answered.

She chuckled as she wrapped her fingers around his belt and pulled him closer. "Can we have sex now?"

Peter smiled crookedly and replied, "Once you set your mind to something, nothing stands in your way."

"Absolutely nothing," she answered before pulling him down on top of her.

* * *

"Hey, can I come in?" Tracy asked, knocking lightly as she opened the door.

"Looks like you already are," Monica told her, barely looking up from her packing.

Tracy ignored her snide remarks and closed the door behind her. "I just talked to Micah."

"Really?"

"He wants me to sue your family for custody, or at least threaten to."

"You're not his family," Monica answered, glaring.

"I'm his mother's sister," Tracy reminded her, "and I'm very well connected. I could get any judge to agree with me. But I don't think Micah should burn his bridges with his family."

"Good, then tell him to come home."

"That's not what _he_ wants," Tracy told her. "Look, Zach already talked to the Bennets. They're moving to D.C. and they've agreed to let Micah stay with them. He'd have a real family to take care of him, and Washington is filled with amazing opportunities for a boy like Micah."

Monica quickly wiped away a tear and said, "We promised Niki that _we_ would take care of Micah."

"This is part of that," Tracy assured her. "Let him go and start over, and I promise he will spend Christmas, spring break, and most of the summer with all of you in New Orleans."

Monica folded her arms across her chest and shook her head, "And why should I believe you?"

"Because if you don't, I'll do what Micah asked, and sue you for custody," Tracy answered matter-of-factly.

"I guess I don't have a choice then," Monica said, walking past the blonde woman and into the hall.

She spotted Micah's curly hair and pulled him away from Molly. "If you really didn't want to go home, you didn't have to send in your mother's twin, you could have just told me."

"I did tell you," he argued. "You didn't want to listen. Monica, I don't want to live a normal life with you and Nana. I want the extraordinary life I've been living for the past couple of months. With these people, I don't have to hide who I am. Monica, please, just let me stay."

Monica glanced at Molly who was doing a very poor job of looking inconspicuous as she stared at them. She smiled at Micah and said, "Just tell me one thing, are you staying for the opportunity, or the girl?"

He grinned sheepishly and said, "Well, New York is only a train ride away."

"Don't do anything stupid, you hear me?"

"I do," he answered, hugging her tightly. "Thanks, Monica, for everything."

* * *

"This is nice," Zach mused as he stared up at the stars through the gap in the tree house roof.

"Yeah," Claire agreed, snuggling closer. "It's quiet."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. She draped an arm over his torso and rested on his chest.

"What are you going to do now?" she asked him quietly.

"I don't know," he answered, gently running his fingers through her hair. "My parents didn't really notice when the police stopped calling them about my disappearance. I'm not even sure they realized Micah was living with us. My admission to NYU was contingent on graduating from high school, which I didn't do. I was thinking about getting my GED and maybe going to NYU in the spring."

"The GED is harder than high school," she warned him, "well, except for the whole social shark tank thing."

Zach chuckled and said, "Maybe you could tutor me."

"Yeah, and then you would learn absolutely nothing about the GED."

"How's that?"

"Oh, I'd have you learning other, more important skills," she answered sultrily.

Zach held in a laugh as long as he could. When Claire started giggling, he burst out laughing himself. When they had quieted themselves, they hugged each other tighter.

"I'll figure something out," he promised.

"No," she answered, "_we_ will."

* * *

_Three weeks later…_

Matt looked down at his new badge. Emblazoned on the gold metal were the words "Agent" and "Department of Homeland Security." Janice and Molly both agreed he could make the most difference with Nathan's operation. It also paid three times as much as he made as a New York City detective. Janice took an offer from a respectable firm downtown. Soon they would be saying 'Goodbye' to Brooklyn.

"What are you watching?" Matt asked as he heard elevator music coming from Molly's room.

Micah and Molly dropped each other's hands and did a very bad attempt of looking innocent. Matt looked at the television and cocked an eyebrow.

"The real estate channel?" he asked. "We have a real estate channel?"

"We do now," Molly explained sheepishly.

Matt looked at Micah, who looked at the floor. Little Matt giggled devilishly from his play place on the floor.

"How does he know what's funny? He can't even talk," Molly asked in amazement.

"Micah, you want to come with me," Matt said, motioning for the boy to follow.

The boy got off the bed and followed the man out into the living room. "We were just looking for houses in the area," he explained. "Thought it might help."

"Micah, you can't steal cable for us," Matt told him. "I know you're kind of going through a transition right now, but you can't keep using your powers to do personal favors. Zach told me what you did."

"He deserved to get his diploma and go to his dream school _this_ year," Micah argued. "It's not his fault the government locked him up for months and nearly got him killed."

"That doesn't matter, Micah. You falsified Zach's school records, and now he can't be honest about his education," Matt told him.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Oh, do you want to see Molly sometime in the next three months?" Matt asked sarcastically. "I can't ground you, but I can make a phone call to the people who can. Don't push me."

"Hey," Janice said, as she opened the door with her arms full of packages. "I'm sensing a weird vibe. What's going on?"

"Nothing anymore," Matt said. "You're excused."

Micah rolled his eyes and started to walk away. "Wait a second," Janice called, holding him up. "I picked up your suit while I was out."

He took the garment bag from her hands and walked glumly toward the back of the apartment. Janice looked at Matt and said, "Okay, spill."

"He used his powers to get us the real estate channel. Okay, that sounds really stupid now that I said it out loud."

Janice chuckled and replied, "Yes, it does, but I'm assuming that's not the only reason you read him the riot act."

"He falsified Zach's records so he could go to NYU this fall," Matt explained.

"And?"

"Janice, he's using his powers to lie and cheat when he should be using them to—"

"Help people," she finished. "From what you're telling me, that's exactly what he's doing. Maybe he's going about it the wrong way, but if this is the worst rebellion he goes through in all of his teenaged years, we should count ourselves lucky."

"We?" Matt asked. "He's not staying with us."

"Oh, please," Janice replied, rolling her eyes. "That boy is going to be here every weekend until Molly moves out."

"They're twelve," Matt pointed out.

Janice lowered her voice and said, "They're special, and they're orphans being raised by people who just decided to take them in. They met at a crucial time in their lives, and they're connected. I don't see that connection being easily broken. Now, since we have to get up early in the morning to go to Montauk, I'm going to call in a pizza, and watch the real estate channel with the kids. Oh, and I love the badge."

She kissed him lightly on the cheek, picked up another garment bag, and said, "Molly, could you try on this dress. You've probably grown since your last fitting!"

Matt smiled and shook his head. Even though he'd chosen the insane path, his family was as normal as ever. Handling "normal" problems was going to take practice.

* * *

"You know, the groom isn't supposed to see the bride a whole day before the wedding, and we get married in eight hours," Peter pointed out before tracing a line of kisses down his fiancée's throat and bare chest.

Elie laughed, running her fingers through his damp hair. "I'm already pregnant. I don't think it matters what we do or don't do the night or morning before our wedding."

Peter laughed and kissed her hard on the mouth. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rolled over until she was on top of him. She pulled at the hair at the nape of his neck as her tongue caressed his.

She broke off suddenly and said, "I have something to tell you."

"What?" Peter asked curiously.

"I haven't just been spending my time in New York planning the wedding," she confessed. "I've been using Monty to help me write a gossip blog."

Peter burst out laughing as she giggled on top of him. "I think that only works on the WB."

"It's the CW now."

"It was the WB when I was growing up," he returned. "What did you really want to tell me?"

She took a deep breath and said, "Your brother offered to let me run his constituency office in Manhattan. I accepted."

Peter smiled as he tucked a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. "You didn't have to do that," he told her. "I would have moved to Washington."

"I know, but your entire life is in the city and I love New York, too," she explained.

"You could just get a t-shirt that said that."

Elie punched him playfully and replied, "Just shut up and kiss me."

A knock on the door shook them out of their perfect world. "It's your dad," Peter informed her. "He's probably going to be pissed I'm in here."

"Peter, I know you're in there. I'm not mad, so just open the door," the colonel's voice called out.

Elie grinned a self-satisfied smile. "You might want to put some clothes on first."

"Thank you for that helpful tip," he told her before kissing her quickly and gently pushing her off of him. He put on his boxers and pulled his shirt over his head as he opened the door.

"Good morning, Peter," David said politely, looking out of place without his uniform.

"Colonel," Peter greeted nervously.

"Can I come in, or are you going to leave me standing in the hall?"

"Oh, sure, yeah, come right in," Peter told him.

"Hey, Dad," Elie said, emerging from the bedroom, wrapping her robe around herself. "What's that?"

David held up the plastic cylinder and said, "It's a wedding gift."

"Why'd you have to bring it to us at six in the morning?" Elie asked as Peter walked around to stand next to her. "We've got a gift table, you know?"

"It's from your mother," David said, holding the cylinder out to Elie. "She sent it to me ten years ago. She'd never painted something so personal, and it scared her. I thought you should have it now."

Elie reluctantly took the cylinder as her father kissed the top of her head and said, "I'll see you in a few hours."

Silence fell on the two people left in the room. Peter broke it saying, "Aren't you curious?"

"I guess," she answered, sitting down on the couch in the suite.

"Would you like me to open it?" Peter asked, sitting next to her.

"Yes, please," she said as she handed the cylinder to him.

He opened it and pulled out the sheet of white canvas. Elie looked away as he unrolled it.

"Wow," he breathed.

"What?" Elie said, glancing back at him for only an instant.

"Your mom had a different style from the others," he told her. "She was more like a Renaissance painter than a comic book artist."

"Well, she did go to Vassar," Elie explained, finally turning around. "Oh, my God."

The painting was of a wedding on a beach. The auburn-haired bride wore a simple butternut dress. The groom wore a gray suit and had a distinctive scar across his face. A priest stood between them and familiar faces littered the congregation.

"This is our wedding," Elie said, gently running her fingers over the canvas. "My mom painted my wedding, and it scared her. It's probably the only positive thing she ever painted. Why did it scare her so badly?"

"She's not in it," Peter pointed out. "It's the happiest day of her daughter's life, and she's not there. I'm not a parent yet, but I'm pretty sure that's a terrifying thought."

"Oh, my God. You're right," she replied, leaning into him. "She gave it to Dad because she knew he'd give it to me at the right time."

Peter held her close and chuckled lightly. "She was probably also wondering why you were marrying Scarface."

"Oh, you're much better looking than Al Pacino."

"That's not really much of a compliment."

"Maybe," she agreed, kissing him quickly. "Now it's time for you to go."

"What?" Peter asked as she pulled him to his feet.

"I have to sleep sometime before my wedding," she said, opening the door, "and you should too. Love you."

Peter blinked as the door closed in his face. He rolled his eyes as he heard Elie laughing on the other side.

"This isn't funny," he called, banging on the door. "You're just being moody because you can. Elie!"

"You're not even married, and she's already throwing you out."

Peter glared at his grinning brother. Nathan was still in his pajamas, leaning in the doorway of his suite. His arms were folded across his chest and he was obviously holding in a laugh.

"She wanted to sleep," Peter explained flatly.

"Uh-huh, sure," Nathan replied incredulously. "You don't have the key to your room, do you?"

"I don't even have my pants."

Nathan chuckled. "Come on. I've got an extra bed. You need to sleep before you plunge into wedded bliss."

* * *

"You look beautiful," Claire said as she zipped up Elie's dress.

"Thank you," Elie replied smoothing out the fabric. She'd gone with an empire waist to disguise any potential bump, which, as it seemed, was unnecessary. The material was pleated and twisted across the bust and flowed down softly from there. The hem dragged the ground, creating a slight train. She decided to skip a veil in favor of a white rose in her hair.

"Where are your shoes?" Claire asked as she searched around the cabana.

"I decided not to wear any," Elie explained. "We're on a beach, so they'd be more trouble than they're worth."

Claire glanced down at her four-inch, strappy, stilettos and said, "Would you mind if—"

"Not at all," Elie assured her.

Claire happily sat down on the cushioned bench and took off her shoes. They were almost too fancy for her dress anyway. It was basically a powder blue, strapless sundress, but it was silk with a chiffon overlay. It looked deceptively simple.

"I can't believe it," Claire said, standing next to Elie and looking at their reflections in the mirror.

"What?"

"Peter getting married. It seems like just yesterday, he was jumping off buildings without knowing he was going to be okay. I guess we're all growing up."

"Yeah, we are," Elie agreed, her hand resting her hand on her belly.

Claire placed a hand over Elie's and said, "I can't wait to meet her."

"Neither can I," Elie confessed excitedly.

"Is everyone decent?"

The young women turned toward the voice at the opening of the tent. Elie smiled and answered, "Yeah, Dad, it's fine."

The colonel appeared in his dress blues and white gloves with his cover under his arm. He smiled as he looked at his daughter and her maid of honor.

"You both look so beautiful," he told them. "Claire, would you mind. I'd like to speak to my daughter alone."

"Sure," Claire answered. "I'm gonna go check on Peter."

When they were alone, Elie said, "Well, I know this isn't the sex talk because I think I've got that one covered, and you already gave me the painting. I don't know what's left."

"You were wearing a necklace in that painting, weren't you?"

"Yeah, but I couldn't really tell what it was."

"It was this," David answered, withdrawing a silver chain and pendant from his pocket. "Turn around."

Elie hadn't seen the necklace since her father's mother died when she was twelve. It was a silver cross in a Celtic style, but with a Star of David instead of a sphere around it. A single diamond rested in the center.

"Do you remember the story?" he asked her.

"A little."

David released the clasp and allowed his daughter to turn and face him. He smiled slightly as he said, "My father carried my mother out of a concentration camp in Germany. Neither of them were particularly religious, but they came to a compromise eventually and got married. My father had that piece designed for their twenty-fifth anniversary. It was a perfect expression of who they were. Your grandmother survived a holocaust, and now you survived a close facsimile. I thought it should be yours now."

Elie hugged her father and said, "Thank you, Daddy."

"You're welcome, baby girl."

* * *

"That is the most terrible knot I've ever seen. Let me do that."

Peter let out an exasperated sigh as Nathan undid his tie and started to redo it. "This is why I always used clip-ons," he muttered.

"You can't wear a clip-on at a wedding, Pete. This is why I always made sure I was around whenever you had to dress up. You were ready to go tieless to your senior prom."

"Mom wasn't home, and it's not like I could ask Dad."

"True," Nathan agreed as he tightened the knot. "There. Now you look presentable."

Peter shook his head and examined himself in the mirror. He hadn't worn a tie since one of his brother's fundraisers for the congressional race. That night hadn't ended well. He felt a lot better about how this night was going to go.

"Did the dry cleaners get the grass stains out, or is that a new suit?" Nathan asked.

"It's new," Peter answered. "They're dry cleaners, not miracle workers."

Nathan chuckled. He looked at his brother's reflection in the mirror and said seriously, "Thanks for asking me to stand up with you today, Pete."

"You're my brother, Nathan. Who else was I going to ask?"

"I don't know. Someone who hasn't betrayed or called you a hypocrite like Suresh or Parkman."

Peter turned to face him and said, "Nathan, no matter what you do or say to me, you'll always be my brother, and I love you."

Nathan genuinely smiled and said, "You saved my life, Pete. You kept everything and everyone that was important to me safe. I may have save your ass all through our adolescence, but you saved me when it really counted."

"Anytime, Nathan," Peter replied, grinning crookedly.

"Awwww."

They turned to see Claire standing just inside the opening holding something behind her back.

"Hey. You look beautiful," Peter told her.

"Well, not as beautiful as your future wife," Claire replied.

"I highly doubt that," Nathan said, kissing her head. "Why do you have a camera behind your back?"

"You know that picture of the two of you at Nathan's wedding?" she asked. "Well, I think it needs a sequel. So…smile."

Peter held his jacket open with his hands in his pockets while Nathan rested his elbow on his brother's shoulder. Claire snapped the picture and grinned.

"Perfect," she announced as she turned the camera around to show them the proof.

"Yeah, it is," Nathan agreed. "Let's get you hitched."

* * *

The wedding went off without a disaster. Nathan pretended he'd forgotten the ring, which elicited laughter from the guests and an annoyed glare from the groom. The breeze remained soft and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Everyone clapped as Peter took Elie's face in his hands and kissed her. The ceremony was simple and almost stark, but the reception was full of flowers, lavishly decorated tables, and fine food, all thanks to Heidi. More people were invited to the reception, including many Petrelli connections from the Upper East Side.

"Who was that?" Elie asked through her teeth after an older couple told Peter how proud they were.

"I have no idea," Peter confessed. "Nathan?"

"Don't look at me. Ma?"

Angela shrugged and said, "I don't really know," before draining the champagne in her flute.

Peter looked back at his wife and said, "Apparently, you invited a complete stranger to our wedding reception."

She narrowed her gaze at him but kissed him sweetly anyway.

"Alright, alright," Nathan interrupted them. "Knock it off. It's speech time."

Nathan lightly tapped his champagne flute with a spoon and called for everyone's attention. When the murmuring stopped, he took a breath and began, "For those of you who are wondering what this party is for, my brother, Peter, just got married." He waited for the chuckling to die down before continuing, "I've made a lot of speeches in my time. Fortunately, I don't have to make promises I spend the next six years scrambling to keep in this one. The Petrelli family is not perfect. We make mistakes, some of them terrible. Even Peter occasionally messes up, but his intentions are always good. That's always what set my little brother apart from the rest of us: good intentions. I'm slowly learning that the older brother can sometimes look up to the younger. Join me in raising your glasses to the good son, and his beautiful wife. To Peter and Elie."

"That was some speech," Angela muttered to her older son.

"I meant every word," Nathan replied, sitting down.

The party went on and slowed down. Elie danced with her father while Matt danced with Molly. Claire sat down for that dance as both of her fathers were present. She spent the rest of the night dancing with Zach. Peter tossed the garter. Mohinder looked surprised when he caught it. Tracy Strauss giggled girlishly when she caught Elie's bouquet. Peter and Elie were getting ready to leave when a hotel employee tapped him on the shoulder and handed him a small gift box.

"This was left for you at the concierge," he explained quickly before walking away.

"I'm offended," Elie said sarcastically. "Someone gave you a present and didn't give me one."

Peter shrugged and pulled the ribbon off curiously. His brow furrowed in confusion as he lifted the golden object out of the box. "It's a pocket watch."

"Is it inscribed, or anything?"

Peter examined it more closely. An engraving of the logo of his father's law firm was on the front. On the inside was a small picture of he and Elie from a few short hours earlier at the wedding.

"Is there a note or anything?" he asked, motioning toward the discarded box.

"Just this," she answered, handing him a small, folded piece of paper from the box.

Peter cocked an eyebrow at the messy handwriting that said, "To the Good Son."

"Hey, Mom, did you send this?" he asked, holding up the timepiece.

"No," she answered, straightening out her coat collar. "I would have sent you a wristwatch."

"Nathan?"

"Why would I send you a pocket watch?"

Peter grinned crookedly as an answer lighted on his mind. "I think I know who it is."

"Well?" Elie asked.

"It's not important right now," Peter assured her. "Come on, we have to get pelted with rice."

* * *

A/N: Did anyone catch my reference to Milo Ventimiglia's life before _Heroes_? Hope you enjoyed that. R & R.


	25. Chapter 25: Christmastime is here

December

"What is taking so long?"

"She's delivering a baby, not a pizza," Heidi told her ex-husband as she stroked her younger son's hair as he slept.

Nathan glared at her while Claire giggled at him while playing a seventh game of Go Fish with Monty. The colonel chuckled and rested his head against a glass wall.

"Sit down, Nathan," his mother told him. "Your brother's having a baby, not you."

"I know," Nathan said, plopping down into an uncomfortable chair. "My little brother is about to become a father. It makes me feel old."

"How do you think I feel?" Angela replied sarcastically.

A knock on the glass drew their attention toward the doctor standing in the doorway. He smiled and said, "It's a healthy baby girl. We've moved them to the neo-natal ward. Keep your visit short. Mrs. Petrelli and her child need to rest."

They all happily followed the doctor down the halls. Even Simon was excited, though he was barely awake. They found Peter sitting on the edge of the bed wearing his scrubs and smiling down at his little girl. Elie's hair was sweat-soaked and frizzy, but she glowed as she held her daughter in her arms.

"Oh, my God, she's so beautiful," Claire exclaimed. "Look at all that hair."

The infant did indeed have a full head of black hair.

"She's as beautiful as I hoped," Angela said quietly.

"She's so little," Simon commented.

"Everyone starts out that way, Si," Claire told him. "Even you."

"Really?"

"You're still little," Monty taunted.

"Boys," Heidi warned.

"She looks just like you, Pete."

"Thanks, Nathan," Peter replied, his daughter still keeping him entranced.

"Alright, I think that's enough visiting for now," the doctor said from the doorway. "Mrs. Petrelli needs to get some sleep."

Everyone said quick goodbyes and promised to be back later. David kissed his daughter and shook Peter's hand before excusing himself. When they were alone again, Peter kissed his wife before taking the tiny bundle carefully into his arms. Elie was asleep almost as soon as she laid back. Natalia moved slightly in her father's arms, but never completely woke up as he walked around the room with her. She hadn't really opened her eyes yet, but he was looking forward the bright green orbs that would be the focus of her perfect face.

"Hello, Natalia," he whispered. "It's morning now, the first one of your life. The life your mother and I have led has been complicate, crazy, and extraordinary. There was a time in my life I thought I could never have anything normal, but I still wanted a family. If you are the only normal thing I have in my life, I will die a happy man. I don't know what your life will hold, but I know it will have its own special hardships. I'll do my very best to always be there for you, but I can't promise I'll always be there. I won't make promises I can't keep. I won't lie to you about who you are and where you come from. I won't manipulate and use you. I will love you unconditionally, and regardless of what your grandmother may say, that is real love. I loved you since the first time I dreamed of you. I hope you always know that."

He kissed her forehead and she lifted a hand to touch his chin. Peter took that to mean she understood.

* * *

"Peter, hey, wake up."

Peter reluctantly opened his eyes to see his partner in front of him. "Good morning."

"It's twelve-thirty, dude. Brought you lunch from that Italian deli you like so much."

"Hey, Hesam," Elie said, groggily sitting up. "Do I smell minestrone soup?"

"Yeah, I've been told it's your favorite," Hesam answered.

"Hmmm. I think I married the wrong paramedic," Elie teased as she took the container and a spoon from Hesam.

Peter tried to look insulted. "Fine. Next time you have a baby, you can nearly break _his_ hand," he returned.

Hesam shook his head at their behavior as he looked into the crib. "Wow, Pete, she looks exactly like you."

"You know, if one more person says that, I'm going to get jealous," Elie told them.

Peter chuckled. "She'll look more like you when she grows up," he promised.

"We can live in hope," Hesam joked. "We took up a collection to get her something. Don't worry. We sent Jackson's wife because we're all guys and we don't know what we're doing. Oh, and you're covered until the end of the year."

"What?" Peter asked in amazement. "But it's almost Christmas, and—"

"And you haven't taken a day off since you've been back and you always cover _our_ asses," Hesam cut him off. "I don't know why you put up with it, Elie. Look, we voted, we decided. You just had a baby, man. Enjoy your time off."

Natalia started crying loudly in her crib and Elie said, "She's probably hungry."

"And that would be my cue to leave," Hesam said before beating a hasty retreat toward the door. "Happy Holidays, you guys."

Peter laughed at his friend as he lifted Natalia from her crib and handed her to his wife. He sat on the end of the bed as Elie fed her and asked, "Why do you put up with me working all the time?"

"I know why you're doing it," she answered. "You have all these powers, and you've spent so much time trying to save the world and all the others, you forgot about all the normal people for a while. You're just trying to make amends."

"I guess you're right," he said, grinning nervously. "I'll be around more, now, though."

"You better, Mr. Petrelli," she told him.

He smiled and replied, "Yes, sir, Mrs. Petrelli."

* * *

Christmas Eve

"The Parkmans are here!" Claire called out as she opened the door of the Petrelli mansion in upstate New York. Matty let go of Molly's hand, walked right up to Claire and made a barely intelligible greeting while holding his arms up. "Wow, walking and talking. Are we growing up, or what?"

"Too fast," Matt told her as his brood walked in the door.

"You can hang your coats in this closet and put the gifts under the tree in that sitting room," Claire directed. "And, Molly, Micah is—"

"I know where he is," she said before handing her coat to Matt and dashing up the stairs.

"I have mixed feelings about that," Matt said, staring after his surrogate daughter.

"You're her father, of course you have mixed feelings," Janice answered, exchanging her coat for the wrapped packages in Matt's arms. "I'll go put these under the tree."

Claire followed Janice, bouncing Matty on her hip as she went. Matt shook his head and smiled as he hung up their coats. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Hiro, Ando, and another Japanese woman appeared in his peripheral vision.

"Jesus, Hiro! You could have…beamed into the driveway," Matt told him.

"So sorry, Parkman," Hiro excused. "This is my sister, Kimiko."

She stared at her surroundings and muttered something in Japanese.

"What did she say?"

"She thinks she's sleepwalking," Ando explained.

"Common reaction. Welcome to the family," Matt told her cheerily. "Hiro and…company are here!"

* * *

"I'll get it!" Zach called after a knock sounded at the door.

Mohinder Suresh and Tracy Strauss smiled back at him. Tracy's hair hung in layers around her face underneath a fuzzy hat. It made her smile seem much more sincere and her whole demeanor much less severe.

"Hey, Zach. Merry Christmas."

"Hey, guys. Everyone's in there," he replied, motioning toward the living room.

Zach almost shut the door before he noticed a dark, bald man in a khaki coat walking in behind them.

"Hello," Zach said hesitantly.

"Hello, Zachary," he replied in an accented voice, walking fluidly into the house.

Zach was stunned into silence as he pushed the door closed. Slender arms snaked around his midsection and Claire rested her chin on the back of his shoulder.

"Uh, who was the creepy, foreign dude, and how does he know my name?" Zach asked her.

"That was…well, I don't know what his name is, but he's worked for my grandmother for years," she explained. "And he knows your name because he erased your memory once."

"Oh," Zach answered as though that was a reasonable explanation.

"Look you guys, you're standing under the mistletoe," Molly pointed out as she and Micah and the younger Petrellis came down the stairs.

Claire and Zach looked up at the sprig hanging from the ceiling. "Huh. Look at that," Zach said in mock surprise.

"Well, are you going to kiss me or not?"

Zach grinned and spun around in girlfriend's arms. With one hand on her face, he kissed her hard on the mouth. The kiss slowly became less dignified as their lips parted and they pulled each other close.

"Gross," Simon muttered.

"Hey, it's Christmas, not Valentine's," a deeper voice said as he pulled the couple apart.

"Peter!" Claire cried, throwing her arms around her uncle.

"Wow. Women can be so fickle," Zach said sarcastically.

Claire punched him playfully to which he replied, "Hey, watch it! _I_ bruise."

"Hello, woman with baby," Elie called out, holding up a sleeping Natalia in her carrier.

Seemingly everyone in the house poured into the entryway. Everyone wanted to greet Peter, or help Elie with her coat, or hold Natalia. The colonel came through the door into the midst of the chaos. It took him a couple of minutes to find his daughter and give her a hug.

"Alright, alright everyone!" Nathan called out. "Now that the whole…family is here, it's time for dinner. Please join us in the formal dining room as it is the only room big enough for all of us."

The congregation chuckled as they moved toward the other side of the house. Peter almost had his coat off when one of his mother's servants whispered a message in his ear. He muttered a thank you and pulled his coat back on.

"Peter?" Elie asked, turning around from the crowd.

"Hey, where's Talia?" he returned.

"Your mother has her," Elie answered, hands on her hips. "What are you doing? We're about to sit down to dinner."

"I know. I just have to take care of something."

"What could you possibly have to take care of?" she asked him hotly.

"There's someone outside I have to talk to, okay?" he told her, stroking her arms comfortingly. "I'll be right back."

"Peter—"

"I'll be right back. I promise," he reiterated before kissing her softly. "I love you."

He buttoned his coat as he walked into the black chill. The imported gravel crunched beneath his feet as he walked purposefully toward the gate.

"That coat doesn't really look like you."

Peter turned toward the lanky figure leaning against the brick column. His hair was shorter and messier, and it looked as though he hadn't shaved in a week. He'd popped the collar on his knee-length, black coat to keep out the cold. His hands remained hidden in his pockets. He was smirking slightly, but it wasn't the malignant smile Peter was used to seeing on the killer. It was somehow…genuine.

"My coat looks exactly like yours."

"Which is my point."

"What are you doing here, Gabriel?"

"I don't really know," he answered, standing erect and shrugging slightly. "I guess I came to give you this."

He tossed a small, silver object that Peter easily caught. It was a silver timepiece that hung down from a small pin. An engraving of a fancy N stood out on the back.

"The body's an antique. It's how women wore watches in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They pinned them to their shirts. The insides are all new, though. I put it together myself."

"For my daughter?"

"Yes. The engraving was original and I thought of—"

"Why are you doing this?" Peter cut him off. "I know you're not trying to make amends. You're still killing people for their powers. You're just doing it in South America now. Where'd you find this watch? Guatemala? Columbia? Argentina?"

"Buenos Aires," he answered. "How did you—"

"Local authorities called the FBI," Peter explained. "The agent originally assigned to the Sylar killings knows Matt. She called. You know, when I found your watch in the wreckage, I really hoped you changed. I know you can control your hunger. I've seen it."

"That future will never happen."

"Maybe," Peter replied. "You haven't really answered my original question."

"It's Christmas," he answered simply. "You and your brother talk about how connected we all are. You're having a family Christmas with practically everyone you've ever met. I don't know. Maybe I was so ready to believe I was your brother because it's secretly what I wanted: a family, no matter how screwed up they were. I've murdered the only people who ever loved me. I thought maybe there would be a Christmas miracle and you'd forgive me long enough to let me eat dinner with you. I guess I was wrong."

Peter pocketed the trinket in his hand and looked at the back of the man walking away. He sighed deeply and called out, "Gabriel!"

He stopped and turned around, clearly surprised.

"Don't be surprised if you get shot," Peter told him.

"You mean I can stay?"

"Yes. If you try to massacre us, I swear to God I will end you. Permanently."

"I won't I promise."

"Come on. The turkey my mother's chef slaved over all day is getting cold."

Gabriel chuckled slightly and followed him back up the gravel driveway.

* * *

"Peter, we were beginning to wonder," Nathan said jovially as his brother appeared in the doorway. "Come sit down."

Peter forced a chuckle and said, "Don't freak out."

Gabriel walked out from behind Peter. Matt, Noah, and Colonel Costantin were instantly on their feet with their side arms drawn. Nathan, Mohinder, and the Hatian also stood up protectively. Gabriel tensed up and Peter held his hands up in a placating manner. Angela remained serene as she sipped from her wine glass.

"This is the opposite of not freaking out," Elie told them.

"Peter, what the hell is wrong with you?" Matt growled. "He's a killer."

"The Hatian is right there. He can't do anything."

"He doesn't need powers to kill," Noah argued.

"I'm not going to hurt any of you. I swear."

"Your promises don't really mean a whole hell of a lot," Nathan told him.

"Neither do yours," Gabriel returned.

Peter bit his lip to keep from smiling. Angela rolled her eyes and sat her glass back down on the table.

"Put your guns away, and sit down, all of you," she ordered. "Nothing is going to happen here tonight. Gabriel, take the seat next to Nathan. Peter will sit on your other side."

"Are you insane?" Nathan asked his mother.

"No, but I do dream the future," she replied. "We are going to have a pleasant dinner and then he is going to leave. No one dies or even gets indigestion, so…Sit. Down."

Everyone quickly obliged, but Noah left his gun in plain sight on the table. Everyone looked around stiffly.

"Okay, fine. Who wants dark meat?" Nathan finally asked.

It took half an hour for anyone to say anything at dinner other than, "Pass the potatoes."

Claire broke the ice saying, "Zach and I are sleeping together."

Her boyfriend nearly choked on his corn niblets. "Claire!"

"You are kidding, aren't you?" Sandra asked sternly.

"Yes," Claire answered calmly. "I was just sick of no one saying anything."

Everyone turned to stare as the killer between the Petrelli brothers as he sniggered.

"Sorry," he excused. "It's just funny."

Peter smiled crookedly. "It kind of is."

Elie cued off her husband and said, "So, Claire, what have you been doing…other than your boyfriend?"

Several people laughed out loud while Zach covered his face with his hands. Everyone started talking to each other from all points along the table. Ice broken.

A couple of hours later everyone drifted into the sitting room. Elie pulled Peter back into a corner of the dining room, kissed him, and wrapped her arms around his torso.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"Because you still amaze me."

"How's that?"

"Despite all the things that have happened to you and to your family, you still see people better than what they are," she explained. "You did a good thing letting him have dinner with us."

Peter kissed her softly and said, "I need to get something for him before he leaves. I love you."

"Love you too."

* * *

Gabriel was just putting on his coat when Peter caught him.

"You're leaving?"

"I, uh, don't think I would be welcome for opening presents," Gabriel replied. "I have things to do anyway."

"I thought you might want this," Peter said, holding a broken watch out toward him.

Gabriel looked at the discarded timepiece. It's hands were still stuck and SYLAR still stood out on the face.

"You keep it," he told Peter.

"Really?"

"Yes. I used to think I needed it to remind me who I am. What I am. But I _know_ who I am. I don't need it anymore."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," Gabriel promised. "You won't see me again."

Peter guffawed. "Yeah, I'll believe that," he replied sarcastically.

"Goodbye, Peter," Gabriel said, holding his hand out.

"Bye, Gabriel," Peter said shaking his hand.

The killer disappeared into the dark.

* * *

"So, you and Tracy. How long has that been going on?"

"Depends on your definition of 'it,'" Mohinder answered his friend as they sipped their drinks near the fireplace. "At first, it was just sort of…"

"Sex?" Matt suggested.

"Well, and breakfast."

"And, now?"

"Now we have dinner, and lunch, and sometimes we even go to a play," Mohinder explained, grinning slightly.

"And is she still the K Street Ice Queen?"

"Well, she's still a lobbyist, but she lobbies for charities like Habitat for Humanity, World Children's Fund, and UNICEF."

"Really? That sounds like a next to impossible change of heart."

"Micah," Mohinder explained shortly. "They have lunch every week. He's had a good effect on her."

"He responsible for the two of you _actually_ having a relationship?"

"Well, I think he talked to her and made a call to Molly who may have steered me in a certain direction," Mohinder admitted.

"I had no idea she did that," Matt said, glancing toward the twelve-year-old whispering conspiratorially with Claire while sipping her hot chocolate.

"She's sneakier than she looks."

"That's not comforting at all."

Mohinder chuckled at Matt's discomfort as Angela gathered everyone together so the guests could open presents. Micah got an iPhone. Molly got a red, vintage coat with toggle closures Tracy helped Micah pick out. Mohinder laughed when he opened a new microscope. Matty got an R2-D2 robot he apparently loved more than his mother. Janice and Tracy both opened pairs of designer shoes. Matt rolled his eyes when he opened a box of ten silk ties. Nathan left to take a call while Hiro unwrapped a katana engraved with the ancient kanji for his name. Ando received a watch resistant to electric shocks.

Everyone was admiring the many gifts when Nathan emerged from his office and said, "Noah, Matt, Mohinder, Peter, I need to talk to you right now."

Peter reluctantly passed his daughter to his wife and followed the other men into the office, shutting the door behind them.

"What's going on?"

Nathan sat on the edge of the desk and said, "I just got off the phone with the federal penitentiary where Danko was being held."

"Did he escape?" Noah asked.

"He's dead," Nathan answered simply. "Has a not pinned to him that said, 'Merry Christmas.'"

"What?" Mohinder asked, clearly stunned. "How?"

"Throat was slit," Nathan explained. "Cameras didn't see anything, and all the prisoners were accounted for. The way I see it, it had to be one of us. It might have been someone who can walk through walls, or be invisible. That Claude guy fell completely off the grid after VMI, right?"

Noah started to answer, but Peter cut him off. "It was Sylar."

"How do you know?" Matt asked him.

"He said he had something to do when he left," Peter explained. "And a slit throat sounds like his MO."

"Wonderful," Mohinder said sarcastically. "Now he's back to killing normal people as well."

"Maybe not," Noah said. "Have you actually looked at that file that FBI agent sent over?"

"Yes," Matt answered irritably. "He's still out there killing people."

"Nathan, have you got the file around here somewhere?"

"Sure," the senator answered, shuffling the papers on his desk. "Here you go."

"Peter, what do you notice about this?" Noah asked, passing him the file.

Peter opened it and skimmed through the pages. "He's killing fewer people every month," he reported. "Well, except for this month, but he might have considered Danko a special circumstance."

Matt released a single, loud laugh and said, "So, you think Sylar is on a 12-step program for sociopaths?"

"That's what it looks like," Peter replied, tossing the file on Nathan's desk.

"He's a murderer," Mohinder reminded them.

"Yes, but he's not causing us any problems right now, and he's even solving a few of our problems," Noah pointed out. "I say we leave him alone. He has forever. Maybe after a while, he'll stop killing altogether."

"So, your theory is that by the time Captain Kirk takes off in the _Enterprise_, Sylar will be so enlightened he'll practically be Vulcan?" Matt asked angrily.

"Maybe."

"What happens when he comes after our families?"

"Shut up, guys," Peter told them. "It's my baby girl's first Christmas and I don't want to waste it worrying about some big 'what if.' Right now, this moment, everything is fine. Matt, you should probably come say goodbye before Hiro has to take you to Janice's parents'."

The four men remaining in the room looked at one another sheepishly. Nathan sighed and said, "We can worry about it the day after tomorrow. Now, let's just enjoy the holiday."

* * *

"Wake up! Wake up! It's Christmas! It's Christmas!"

Simon screaming at seven in the morning was how the Petrelli/Bennet clan began their Christmas Day. They all poured out of their rooms in their robes and bare feet. Talia whined at the interruption to her peaceful dreams, but quieted down as the flurry of activity captured her attention.

Peter cocked his head curiously when he saw Zach coming out of Claire's room. Natalia squirmed and giggled in her father's arms as he approached the younger man.

Zach held his hands up and said, "We were talking. We fell asleep. Nothing happened, I swear. Please don't kill me."

"Chicken," Claire told him before kissing him quickly and following the rest of the family down the stairs.

"I'm not going to kill you, Zach," Peter assured him. "I was just wondering why you're still here. Don't you have a family in Texas?"

"Well, um, my parents barely remembered I existed when I was living with them and now my sister's had a baby and… You know that expression, 'you can't go home again?' It's partly true. I can't really go back to my home, but I found a new one."

Peter nodded as his infant daughter reached for his face. Zach gently stroked her black hair.

"I know Elie hates this, but she really looks like a Petrelli," Zach said fondly. "Except for the eyes. She's got bright eyes like Claire…and Elie, I guess."

"You want to hold her?"

"I, uh, I don't know."

"It's okay. Come on," Peter urged as he passed his daughter over. "Watch her head."

Zach looked slightly frightened, but Natalia eased him into it as she gurgled pleasantly in his arms. He smiled down on her and she grasped onto his index finger.

"She likes you," Peter explained smiling. "Come on. Petrelli Christmases are nothing if not exciting."

* * *

Natalia slept in her little carrier chair through the chaos and noise of a family Christmas. Lyle nearly raised the roof when he opened a Georgetown sweatshirt with his acceptance letter in the pocket. Apparently, a recommendation from a United States senator made a huge impact on the admissions board.

"Working for the DHS over the summer looked really good on your application," Noah told his son.

"Does that mean I can do something other than filing next summer?"

"We'll see."

"Do I get a gun?"

"No," everyone replied in unison.

While Monty and Simon pieced together their new train set, Peter opened a gift from Nathan that turned out to be a lacy, black slip.

"What the--?"

"Well, technically, Elie would be wearing it, but it's a present for you," Nathan said before smugly sipping his coffee.

Elie giggled while her husband covered his face with his hands.

"I told him it wasn't funny," Heidi told them.

"There are kids here," Peter hissed at his brother.

"They're not paying attention," Nathan argued.

"Well, if you don't want it," Claire said, slyly reaching for the package on Peter's lap.

Peter pulled the package away and handed it to his laughing wife. Zach shook his head and said, "You really want to get me killed, don't you?"

"Stop being so dramatic," Claire told him in annoyance.

"It's snowing!" Simon announced loudly before bolting toward the door.

"Not in your robe and slippers, young man," Heidi told him, standing up with her fists on her hips. "Sweaters and boots before snow."

"Oh my God, I always wanted a white Christmas," Claire said, staring out the window.

"It doesn't snow in Texas?" Peter asked.

"Well, when it does, it's probably a natural disaster," Zach explained before Claire pulled him to his feet and out the door.

"Come on," Elie said, gently pulling her daughter out of her chair. "Let's go have some cold weather fun."

* * *

"Thank you for saving this for me, Peter."

"You're welcome, Mother, but I can't say I actually did it for you," Peter replied as he looked down at the baby in his arms while his wife threw snowballs at his nephews.

"It doesn't really matter why you did it, it just matters that you did," his mother assured him.

"Hey, Pete," Nathan said, walking up and holding out a ring box. "This is your real present."

"Thanks, Nathan, but I'm already married."

"Just take it."

Peter passed his daughter to his mother and took the small package from his brother. He opened it to find a metal key, like a door key.

"What's this?"

"Three bedrooms in Brooklyn," Nathan answered, "and it even has a backyard."

"Nathan, I-I-we can't accept this," Peter sputtered.

"I just paid the down payment," Nathan told him. "The mortgage is all on you and Elie."

"Thank you so much," Peter said sarcastically as he pocketed the key. "Really, Nathan, thanks."

"You're welcome, Pete. It's the least I could do. You're my brother, I love you."

The brothers embraced as Elie jogged up and took her daughter from her mother-in-law's arms. "What's going on?" she asked sidling up to her husband.

"I'll let you tell her. Come on, Mom. Let's go show these kids who's boss," Nathan said, taking his mother's hand and leading her away.

"Well?" Elie asked again, bouncing her daughter lightly in her arms.

"We have a house in Brooklyn," Peter told her.

"What?"

"Nathan paid the down payment and gave me the key," he explained.

Elie smiled and kissed her husband. "That's amazing. I haven't had a yard in almost a decade."

Peter chuckled and replied, "Neither have I, but our little girl will have a place to play."

"I hope the house is in Molly's school district. She loves her school," Elie thought aloud.

"She's not even a month old and you're already thinking about sending her to school?" Peter asked, gently withdrawing his daughter from her mother's arms.

"You always have to consider the future, Peter."

"This isn't at all what I pictured."

"Really?"

"I always saw death, destruction, and atomic bombs, not my family running around having a snowball fight. And I certainly didn't think about being a father," he explained as his daughter grasped his index finger. "It all seemed so impossible."

"I guess the Stones had it wrong," Elie said, wrapping her arms around her husband and resting her head on his shoulder.

"What do you mean?"

"Sometimes you get exactly what you want."

He kissed her grinning face and surveyed the snowy scene before him. It was better than any dream he'd had. In saving his brother, he saved his entire family, including the beautiful bundle in his arms. Nathan was always a hero, he'd just forgotten. Peter also knew he saved the dark figure watching them from the edge of the woods. Whether he would turn out to be an angel of death or life remained to be seen, but he offered a silent prayer of thanks for all of them. They were alive and whole, with more than they'd ever had before. He didn't know how long it would last, but every second of joy would be worth every second of trial. They would survive. They would save one another. That was the true meaning of family. That's what it meant to be a hero.

* * *

A/N: It's over now. Thanks for the reviews and alerts and everything. Hope you enjoyed this last chapter. Thank You!!!


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